


The Arrangement

by PhysEdTeacher



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Love/Hate, The Proposal - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:20:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 31,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27197063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhysEdTeacher/pseuds/PhysEdTeacher
Summary: Loosely based on the 2009 hit, The Proposal, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. The Proposal is one of my favorite movies and whenever I watch, I can't help but think of Kabby. This is my own unique spin! :)Abby Griffin is a 37 year old Executive Assistant in New York City. She moved from her hometown in Alaska with her fiance, Jake, right after college with the hope of one day becoming an Editor. Now, 15 years later and divorced, Abby finds herself as the Executive Assistant to Marcus Kane, a cold, pragmatic man who has made her professional life miserable for the last 3 years. When Canadian Marcus is informed that he is being deported, he announces to their boss that he and his beautiful assistant are engaged to be married.With the risk of hefty fines and federal prison, will Abby go along with the shame marriage? And what happens along the way as Marcus and Abby are thrust together, visiting her hometown of Sitka, AL and spending quality time together with Abby's confused family?
Relationships: Abby Griffin & Marcus Kane, Abby Griffin/Marcus Kane, Kabby - Relationship
Comments: 74
Kudos: 186





	1. 1

“When are we going to see you, sweetheart? You haven’t been home in almost 2 years. Your dad and I miss you.” 

Abby Griffin sighed heavily into the phone as she sat at her desk. Her mother wasn’t wrong and she already felt guilty enough for not making the journey back home to Alaska more often. “Mom, it’s not like you live around the corner. New York is almost 3,000 miles away.”

“It’s called an airplane, Abigail,” Sharon McCall said matter of factly. 

“I have work, Mom. I can’t just pick up and leave.” 

“Speaking of,” Sharon started. “Have you found a new job yet? You don’t need that stress and Lord knows that tyrant you work for doesn’t appreciate you like he should. I hope you’re looking a little closer to home this time?”

Stress? The only stress Abby had at the moment was from this conversation. It was always the same, no matter if it was her mother or father on the other end of the line. They wanted her to find a new job, preferably on the west coast of the United States and closer to their home in Sitka, Alaska. 

If she was being honest with herself, Abby often felt like throwing in the towel in New York and starting over in another city. But Abby Griffin was not a quitter. She was determined, tenacious, and stubborn as hell and, no matter how difficult things became, she was not about to run away from the life she had spent the last 15 years building for herself. 

After graduating from the University of Washington at 22, she and her college sweetheart, Jake, made the cross country move to New York City. They were young and in love and eager for a new adventure. They married, rented a small studio apartment in Brooklyn, and found entry level positions in the city. Jake was hired by The Ark Group as an engineer and Abby took a position as an assistant at Wallace Publishing, one of the most successful and well known publishing companies in the country. They were happy, until they weren’t. 

Less than 5 years after arriving in New York, Jake asked for a divorce, saying he had fallen in love with a coworker. At that point, he had been cheating on his wife for well over 6 months. It had been a shock, completely blindsiding Abby, but she agreed to end their marriage. Her initial reaction had been to return to Sitka but, in the end, she decided to remain in New York. Abby’s dream was to one day become an editor, hopefully at Wallace Publishing, and New York was where she needed to be to turn that dream into reality. She was a hard worker that took pride in everything she did. She was working her way up, putting in her time, knowing it would pay off eventually.

Abby continued to advance, eventually being promoted to the position of Executive Assistant to the Editor In Chief at the age of 28. At first, the position was a dream. She loved working for her boss, Thelonius Jaha. He was kind and he treated Abby well. Unfortunately, as everyone eventually does, Jaha retired, opting to spend his days with his family or on the golf course. While Abby was sad to see him go, she was excited to meet the new Editor in Chief and begin her next adventure. Little did she know, that adventure quickly turned into her worst nightmare. 

Enter Marcus Kane, a Canadian transplant that swooped into Wallace Publishing with his nose in the air. He was cold, pragmatic, and one of the most unsociable people Abby had ever met. She had tried to build some sort of rapport with the man, but he wasn’t interested. It was clear from the moment they met that Kane viewed Abby as his subordinate, nothing more. 

_ “I’m excited to work with you, Marcus. I’m sure you’re going to be very happy here at Wallace. It’s a wonderful place to work.” _

_ He looked at her like she was insane before leveling an icy glare. “Let me make one thing clear, Ms. Griffin. I am the Editor in Chief and you are my Assistant. Nothing more. We are not friends and I have no desire to hear about the details of your life. I expect you to bring me my coffee each morning, stay on top of my schedule, and make yourself available whenever you are needed. Understood?” _

_ Abby stood speechless, her mouth agape. What the fuck?! “Umm, yes. I understand.” _

_ When she didn’t immediately leave, Kane looked at her. “You can go,” he said, dismissing her. Abby turned and started to head back to the outer office when he called to her again. “Oh, and Ms. Griffin…” _

_ Abby looked back from the doorway. “Yes?” _

_ “Don’t ever call me Marcus again. As your boss, it’s not appropriate. It’s Mr. Kane to you.” _

That was 3 years ago and, unfortunately for Abby, Kane’s demeanor and attitude had not changed much. In fact, it had only gotten worse. Instead of an Assistant, Abby often felt more like an intern or a glorified secretary. While she still dreamt of becoming an Editor, Abby’s days were now spent fetching Kane’s coffee, booking flights and hotel rooms, and being at his beck and call 365 days per year. 

Abby hated working for Marcus Kane and each day she woke up questioning why she was still in New York City. But again, Abby wasn’t a quitter and she was not about to walk away from her dream because of some jackass. 

“Mom, for the last time, I am not walking away. I’ve worked too hard for too long to just give up.” 

Sharon McCall sighed on the other end of the line. “I know honey and we are so proud of you, but moving closer to home and starting over at a new company isn’t giving up. You’ve been at Wallace for 15 years, surely someone would snatch you up in a heartbeat.” 

Abby knew her mother was right. With 15 years at the country’s top publishing company under her belt and glowing recommendations, she would probably land another position quite easily. There were great companies in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, but New York was her dream. Not to mention, there was no way she would give Kane the satisfaction of thinking he had driven her out.

“I’m 37 years old, Mom. I’m a big girl and I know what I’m doing.” 

“But…”

“No,” Abby quickly cut her mother off. “I love you and I’m sorry I haven’t visited in so long. I promise, I will fly out as soon as I can. But it’s my life, Mom. New York is my home now and this is where I want to be.” 

**********

At 5 o’clock, Marcus Kane’s alarm sounded on his cell phone. With a groan, he turned over in his large, empty bed and turned it off. Laying there in the quiet of his Central Park West penthouse, he stared up at the tray ceiling, trying to muster up the energy to begin his day. A creature of habit, he followed the same routine each and every morning without fail. After waking up alone, he headed out for his 3 mile run in Central Park, followed by a shower, and then a coffee with some fresh fruit. 

Arriving at his office at 7 on the dot, he passed by his Assistant’s desk. “Good Morning,” he said curtly. 

As she always did, Abby Griffin followed him, placing a large hot coffee on his desk. “Your immigration lawyer called again and said…”

He cut her off. “Forget the lawyer, just tell him I’m unavailable.”

“Ok,” Abby agreed. “Mr. Wallace called a few minutes ago. …”

“Wallace? Why?” Kane asked. He didn’t like surprises. 

“He would like to see you in his office.” 

“When?”

“He said as soon as you arrive.”

Kane rubbed his chin, contemplating why on earth Dante Wallace would want to see him first thing in the morning. This can’t be good, he thought to himself. “Ok, but come and get me in 10 minutes. We have a lot to do today.”

Kane pushed passed her and started for the door. Abby gave him a mock salute behind his back before heading back to her desk. 

**********

“Come in!” 

Kane pushed open the wooden door that led into Dante Wallace’s office. Despite being friends with the man, old man Wallace was still his boss, and being summoned to his office gave Kane a sinking feeling in his stomach. He felt like a boy being sent to the Principal. 

“Good Morning, Dante,” Kane greeting cheerfully, not showing any sign of the trepidation he was actually feeling. 

“Marcus,” Wallace smiled. “Please, take a seat.” 

Doing as he was told, Kane took a seat in the one of the chairs in front of Dante’s desk and waited. 

“Do you remember when we agreed that you would not attend the Edinburgh Book Fair because you were not allowed out of the country while your Visa application was being processed?” 

“Yes Sir. I do.” 

“But you went to Edinburgh.”

“Yes, I did,” Kane nodded. “We were going to lose Kellan to another firm. I didn’t have a choice.” 

Wallace pursed his lips, nodding sadly. 

“What’s this about?” Kane asked. 

“Marcus, your Immigration lawyer called. You’re Visa application has been denied and you are being deported for violating the terms and conditions of your work Visa.”

“You can’t be serious!?” Kane asked, incredulously. “This has to be some sort of mistake?” 

“I’m afraid there’s no mistake.” 

“I’m from Canada for Christ’s sake! There has to be something we can do, Sir.” For the first time, Marcus Kane was panicking. Sure, he knew full well that he shouldn’t have left the county, but he didn’t really think it would be a big deal. 

“We can reapply, of course, but you will need to leave the country for at least a year.” 

“A year?” Kane repeated, completely in shock. “Well, that’s not ideal, but it’s 2020. I should have no problem running things from Toronto, between the internet and Zoom.”

“Marcus, hold on.” Wallace held up his hand to stop him. “If you are deported, you will be unable to work for an American Company. I have no choice but to replace you as Editor in Chief. Carl Emerson is the obvious choice.”

“Sir, please,” Kane pleaded, desperately. “There has to be something I can do.”

“Believe me, if there was anything we could do, we would be doing it. I don’t want to lose you, Marcus, but our hands are tied.” 

Before another word could be said, there was a knock on the door and Abby Griffin stepped inside the room. 

“Excuse me, we’re in a meeting,” Dante said. 

“I know, Sir. I’m very sorry,” she smiled sweetly before turning her attention to Kane. “Mr. Kane, Miller is on the line. He said it’s urgent that he speaks with you right away.”

“I know, I know,” Kane replied, rubbing his hands over his face. 

“I told him that you were otherwise engaged, but he’s insisting.” 

At that moment, Marcus Kane realized that a solution to his problem was standing right in front of him. He stared at his Assistant, contemplating what he was about to do and knowing how insane the idea actually was. Unfortunately, he had little choice. 

As Abby looked at him expectantly, wondering why he was staring at her like that, he motioned with his hand for her to join him in front of Wallace’s desk. When she furrowed her brow in confusion, remaining where she was, he once again motioned for her to come in, this time a little more forcefully. 

With some apprehension, Abby stepped into the office and slowly came to stand beside Kane, who had now turned his attention back to Dante Wallace. 

“Sir, I understand, but I think there is something that you should know,” Kane said, as he slipped his arm around Abby’s waist. “We’re getting married.” 

Abby’s eyes snapped to the man beside her. She almost laughed, but somehow kept it in. He couldn’t be serious? 

“Isn’t she your secretary?” Dante asked, confused. 

“Executive Assistant, actually,” Kane said proudly, pulling her closer. “We weren’t supposed to fall in love, Sir, but we just couldn’t fight it any longer. All those long nights at the office and weekend book fairs, it just happened.” 

Abby was speechless, not knowing if she wanted to laugh, or cry, or throw up. 

“Well, this is certainly unexpected, but I’m thrilled for you both,” Dante smiled, coming around the desk to shake Kane’s hand. “Just make it official, you two; the sooner the better.” 

“Absolutely,” Kane nodded. “Now, if you’ll excuse us, we need to get down to the Immigration Office and get this all straighted out.” With his hand on the small of her back, Kane led Abby out of Dante’s office and down the hall. 

As soon as they were around the corner, Kane removed his hand and walked ahead as if nothing happened, leaving Abby to trail behind. She felt like she was having an out of body experience, her head spinning. What the actual fuck just happened in there, she asked herself. 

When they finally reached Kane’s office, he walked inside and took a seat behind his desk, seemingly unphased by what had just transpired. Abby closed the door behind her, coming to stand in front of him. Not having a clue what to say, she simply stared and waited. 

“What?” he asked, somewhat annoyed. 

Abby glared at the man before her, crossing her arms tightly in front of her. “Explain.” 

“Don’t be so pissy. It’s not a big deal.”

“No, not at all,” she scoffed. 

“Please, were you saving yourself for someone special?” Kane rolled his eyes. 

“I’d like to think so, yes,” Abby said. “You know this is illegal, right?” 

“I’m a Canadian book publisher. They have bigger fish to fry.” 

“I’m not marrying you, Kane,” she said, defiantly. 

Kane looked up, clenching his jaw. “Sure you are, because if you don’t, your dreams of touching millions with the written word are dead.” When Abby looked at him confused, he continued. “They planned to replace me with Emerson, which means they’ll fire you the second I’m gone, guaranteed. You’ll be out on the street, looking for a new job, and your dreams of becoming an Editor will disappear.” 

Abby could only stare at him wide-eyed. 

“Don’t worry, this isn’t forever,” Kane assured her. “After the required allotment of time, we’ll get a divorce and we can both move on with our lives. Until then, we’re stuck with each other, Ms. Griffin.”


	2. 2

“Just play along,” Marcus Kane whispered quietly as he and Abby stood in line at the USCIS Office in New York City. 

Abby looked up at him, still in shock that this was actually happening, but didn’t respond. 

“Next!” called the young man at window 5. 

“We’re up,” Kane said, flashing that damn crooked smirk that infuriated her to no end. 

“Can I help you?”

“Yes,” Kane smiled. “I’m here to file this Fiance Visa, please.”

The man accepted the folder from Kane’s outstretched hand and started to look over the paperwork. After several minutes, he looked between the couple, his brows knitted together. “Mr. Kane. Ms. Griffin. Please, come with me.” 

They both glanced at one another, hesitating for only a moment, before they both followed clerk 5 across the crowded room. After being led through a security door, the man headed down a long narrow hallway that was lined with offices. The man stopped in front of one of the offices at the end of the hall and gestured inside, “In here.” 

“What’s going on?” Kane asked. 

“One of our Immigration Agents will be in to speak with you shortly. Please, take a seat.” 

If Marcus Kane was nervous, he didn’t let it show, appearing as stoic and unemotional as always. Abby, on the other hand, suddenly felt nauseous, her stomach in knots. 

They each took their seats in front of the desk as they waited for the Immigration Agent to arrive. “This isn’t going to work,” Abby said quietly. “They’ll see right through us.” 

“It’ll work if you stick to the plan,” he replied, cooly, fiddling with his cufflink. 

Abby was just about to respond when an older African American man entered the room. “Sorry for the wait,” he apologized, taking a seat behind the desk. “I’m Charles Pike.” 

“I’m Marcus Kane and this is my fiance, Abby Griffin.” He smiled at the man, looking as confident as ever. 

They watched as Agent Pike looked over Kane’s paperwork, seemingly reading over every word. After a few minutes, he set the papers down and folded his hands on the desk, studying the couple in front of him. “Are you both committing fraud so Mr. Kane can avoid deportation and retain his position as Editor in Chief at Wallace Publishing?”

“What? Absolutely not!” Kane said, wide-eyed. “That’s absurd.”

“Is it?” Pike asked. “We received an anonymous tip from a…”

“Carl Emerson?” Kane finished. 

“Yes. Carl Emerson.” 

Kane let out an amused chuckle. “Carl Emerson is simply a disgruntled colleague who would benefit from my deportation. He is next in line to become Editor in Chief.” 

“Is that so?” Pike asked, looking unconvinced. “Ok. Let me explain to you both what is about to unfold. Step one, a scheduled interview. I will put you each in a separate room and ask you every little question that a real couple would know about each other. Step two, I dig deeper. I look at your phone records. I talk to your neighbors. I interview your co-workers. If your answers don’t match up at every point, you will be deported indefinitely,” he said, pointing at Kane. He then turned his attention to Abby, “And you, will have committed a felony, punishable by a fine of $250,000 and 5 years in federal prison.” 

Abby swallowed hard, staring at Agent Pike. This was insane. She needed to confess now before this charade went on a moment longer. Marcus Kane was a jackass and she didn’t owe him a damn thing. Let him hang, she thought to herself. And while she loved her job, she wasn’t about to go to prison for it. 

“Talk to me Ms. Griffin,” Pike pushed. “All I want is the truth.”

Abby looked between Pike and Kane as both men waited for her reply. Just as she was about to confess everything, an idea popped into her head and before she could stop herself, she said, “We are just two people that weren’t supposed to fall in love. We couldn’t tell anyone at work about our relationship because of my big promotion that I have coming up. We didn’t feel it would be very professional.” 

Kane did a double-take, clearly caught off guard. Luckily for him, Pike didn’t notice. 

“Promotion?” Agent Pike asked.

“Yes, to Editor,” Abby said confidently. 

Abby didn’t miss the way Kane’s eyes narrowed at her as he pursed his lips. He wasn’t happy. 

“I’m sure you know how people talk, Agent Pike?” she continued. “Some may view our relationship as inappropriate, so Marcus and I just thought it was best to keep things under wraps. Isn’t that right, sweetie?”

Kane cleared his throat, nodding in agreement. “Yes, that’s exactly it.” 

“What about your families? Do they know?”

“I”m an only child,” Kane answered. “Both of my parents have passed.” 

“And you, Ms. Griffin?” 

“I’m also an only child but, thankfully, my parents are still very much alive.” 

“Yes, we’re planning to visit this weekend,” Marcus said, out of the blue. “We want to tell them about our engagement in person. Isn’t that right, Abby?”

In person? What the hell was he doing? “Umm, yes, that’s right.” 

“You’re planning to visit your family this weekend? Are they nearby?” 

“No,” Abby answered. “Which is why we don’t get to see them very often. I’m from Sitka.” 

“Sitka?” Pike asked, clearly having no clue where Sitka was. 

“Yes. Sitka, Alaska.” 

“You’re going to Alaska this weekend?”

“We are,” Kane nodded, hiding his surprise very well. “We’re really looking forward to it.” 

“And how long will you be in Alaska?”

“About a week,” Abby answered. “Anything less really isn’t worth the trip, I’m afraid.” 

Pike stared at both of them as they sat in the uncomfortable plastic chairs in front of his desk. “Ok. If that’s how you’re going to play it, then game on!” Scribbling something quickly on his pad of paper, he continued, “I’ll see you both back here on Monday the 17th for your scheduled interviews. 9 o’clock sharp.” Ripping the page off, he stood and held out the piece of paper to Kane. 

“We’ll be here.” Rising from their seats, Kane took the paper from Agent Pike and led Abby out of the office, his hand on the small of her back. 

**********

As they stepped out onto the New York City sidewalk, Kane scrolled through his phone, barking orders as usual. “So we’ll head up to Alaska this weekend and tell your parents about our engagement. Book the tickets right away and use my miles.” 

Abby walked next to him, but she was barely listening to what he was saying. She was in a fog after their meeting with Agent Pike at the USCIS. What the hell had she gotten herself into? This was quickly spiraling out of control. Lying about their relationship to co-workers and Agent Pike was one thing, but bringing Kane home to meet her parents was an entirely different matter. It was too much. 

“Hey! Why aren’t you taking notes?” Marcus asked, finally noticing that Abby wasn’t even paying attention to him. 

Abby stopped and turned to face him. “I’m sorry, but did you not hear a word that Pike said? I’m facing a $250,000 fine and 5 years in prison, Kane!” 

“Please,” he scoffed. “It won’t come to that. I liked how you added that part about me promoting you to Editor. Nice touch.” 

“I wasn’t kidding about that.” Abby crossed her arms in front of her, lifting her chin defiantly. If she was going to risk fines and prison, she wanted to get something out of it.

Kane gave her a short, mirthless laugh. “Not happening.” 

“Then I quit and you’re screwed.” With that, Abby turned on her heel and started to walk away, only to be called back by a desperate Kane. 

“Wait.” 

Abby turned, raising an eyebrow as he closed the distance between them. “Yes?”

Kane let out an exasperated sigh, shaking in head. “Fine. If you do the week in Alaska and the interview, I’ll promote you to Editor.” 

Sure, she could have immediately said yes, but Abby wasn’t about to make this easy on Marcus Kane, especially when she had him right where she wanted him. He was desperate and he needed her. “Right away, not in 6 months, and I want you to publish my manuscript.” 

Kane ran his hands over his face and through hair, causing a wayward curl to flop onto his forehead. It was the first time Abby had ever seen him with a hair out of place. She was getting to him and she was loving every minute. 

Placing his hands on hips, Kane bit his lower lip. “10,000 copies, first run.” 

“20,000 copies, first run,” Abby countered. 

“Fine,” he agreed through gritted teeth. 

“Oh, and one more thing.” 

Kane shook his head, letting out a sigh. “Of course there is.” 

“I want you to ask me nicely,” Abby said, smiling brightly. 

“What the hell does that even mean?” 

“I want you to ask me nicely, to marry you Marcus. On your knee.” Abby was enjoying this far too much. After three long years of dealing with this smug jackass, she was relishing the opportunity to make him squirm. He was at her mercy and she was going to make him suffer. 

“You can’t be serious?” he asked, incredulously. 

Abby only raised a brow in response, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. 

Kane growled, mumbling something under his breath about her being evil and deportation looking more appealing by the minute. Then, to Abby’s surprise, Marcus Kane dropped to one knee in the middle of the sidewalk. “Will you marry me?” he asked quickly, his voice devoid of emotion. 

“That was pathetic, Kane. No wonder you’re single.” 

Kane rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm himself so he didn’t throttle the woman before him. “Abby,” he said, sweetly, as he looked up at her with his best fake smile. “Will you please, with cherries on top, marry me?” 

Now it was Abby’s turn to roll her eyes. “I don’t appreciate the sarcasm, but sure, I’ll do it.” 

“Fantastic.” Kane stood back up, dusting off his black pants. 

“I’ll book the tickets as soon as I get home. I’ll call you later with the details.” Again, Abby started to walk away, but then stopped and turned back. “Oh, and Kane?”

“Yeah?” he replied, annoyed.

“Don’t pack a suit. You’ll stick out like a sore thumb.” 

With a victorious smile plastered on her face, Abby headed down the crowded sidewalk towards her apartment, leaving Kane to stare after her retreating form. 

It wasn’t exactly ideal, to be bringing Kane home to Sitka and introducing him as her fiance, but it would be a small price to pay in the end. When this was all over, Abby would finally be an Editor and she’d even have her manuscript published. It was everything she had always wanted. What could go wrong? 


	3. 3

Later that night, after booking two round-trip seats for the next day, Abby sat on her sofa, staring down at her phone. She knew she needed to call her parents and tell them about her upcoming visit, but she was dreading it. How was she going to explain this to her parents? Abby had spent the last 3 years complaining to them about Kane, repeatedly telling them what an asshole he was. Her mother’s response had always been for her to quit and tell him to stick it where the sun doesn’t shine. Her father had always offered to fly to New York and punch him in the face. And now he was supposed to be her fiance? 

“Ugh!” Abby groaned, letting her head fall back against the sofa. What a mess. 

With some trepidation, Abby pulled up her contacts, and clicked on her mother’s number. She answered after only 2 rings. 

“Abby? I didn’t expect to hear from you again today. Is everything ok?”

“Hi Mom. Yes, everything is fine.” 

“Sweetheart, you barely call once a week, let alone twice in one day.”

Abby sighed, “Yeah, I know.” 

“What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing bad. I promise.” Abby rose from the sofa and started to pace in her living room. She needed to get her nervous energy out. “Actually, it’s good news.” 

“Oh? Please tell me you’ve come to your senses and you’ve decided to leave New York?” her mother asked, hopefully. 

Abby rolled her eyes. “No Mom, it’s not that.”

“Then what?”

Taking a deep, calming breath, “I just wanted to let you know that I booked a flight home for tomorrow. I’m coming to visit.” 

“Oh Abby! That makes me so happy!” Sharon was ecstatic at the news that her only child would be home after almost 2 long years. “What brought this on?”

Here we go, Abby thought to herself. “Well, I’ve been seeing someone, and we thought it was a good time to visit so you and Dad can meet him.”

Silence. 

“Mom? Are you there?”

“You’ve been seeing someone? Since when? You never mentioned anything before?”

“I know I didn’t and I’m sorry. At first, it was so new that I didn’t really see the point, just in case things didn’t work out.” 

“Well, it must be pretty serious if the two of you are flying across the country.” 

“Yes. It’s very serious.”

“Don’t keep me in suspense, Abigail. Who is he?” Sharon asked, sounding thrilled that her daughter had finally met someone special. 

“I’m sure it will be a little hard to believe, but it’s actually Marcus Kane.” 

Abby wasn’t sure what she expected, but she definitely didn’t expect her mother to laugh. “Very funny! Come on, Abby. Who is he, really?”

“I’m not kidding Mom. It’s Marcus.” 

Silence. 

“I know it’s a shock…”

“That’s putting it mildly,” her mother cut her off. “Everything you have ever told me about Marcus Kane has been negative. Everything.”

“I know, Mom.” Abby sat back down on the sofa, rubbing her forehead as she was starting to feel the beginnings of a headache. “But things have changed. No one was more surprised than I was, believe me.” 

“They’ve changed since this morning?”

Abby knew her parents weren’t stupid. It wasn’t going to be easy to convince them that her feelings toward Kane had done a complete 180. “Look, I know you’re confused and this doesn’t make any sense. I get it.”

“Then help me understand, Abby.”

“The truth is I’m being promoted to Editor and Marcus and I were concerned that some people may find our relationship inappropriate. I didn’t like keeping it from you, but we didn’t tell anyone.” 

“Editor? Oh sweetheart, that’s wonderful! I know how hard you’ve worked for this.” 

The pride and excitement in her mother’s voice was obvious. Abby just wished she had truly earned the promotion, instead of basically blackmailing Kane for it. “Thanks Mom.” 

“Well, you and I clearly have a lot to talk about when you arrive, but if you’re truly in love with this man, then I’m thrilled for you, sweetie. I’m looking forward to finally meeting him.” 

“We should arrive late afternoon, early evening. I’ll call you when we land in Juno.” 

“Have a safe trip. We’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.” 

“Love you too, Mom.” 

With the call ended, Abby tossed her phone onto the coffee table and fell back against the sofa cushions. As she stared up at the stark white ceiling of her living room, she wondered how she was going to get through the next week unscathed. Going home to Sitka for an entire week was stressful enough. Going home to Sitka for an entire week with Marcus Kane in tow was enough to make Abby want to run for the hills. 

**********

As Abby was trying to explain everything to her mother, Kane was busy packing his suitcase for his unexpected trip to Alaska. Having never been there before, he Googled the average daily temperatures for August, horrified to learn that it rarely got above 70 degrees. Abby told him not to wear a suit, which is the only thing she had ever seen him in so, in the end, he packed as casually as he could. After grabbing some underwear, he tossed in a few pairs of jeans and chino shorts, several t-shirts, his favorite long sleeve henley, and a dress shirt, just in case. That would have to do, he thought to himself. 

Putting his suitcase by the front door, Kane headed into his kitchen, opened the fridge, and popped open a bottle of Bud Light. He took a healthy sip, sitting down on one of the stools in front of his kitchen island. What a day, he thought to himself. When he woke up that morning, he expected a typical 12 hour day, followed by a weekend alone. He never thought he’d be preparing to leave for Alaska and he certainly never imagined getting engaged, least of all to Abby Griffin. 

Kane wasn’t proud of the fact that he blackmailed Abby into pretending to be his fiance. In fact, he felt like a complete asshole, but what choice did he have? When faced with the reality of losing everything he had worked so hard for and having to start over back home in Canada, he panicked. 

Taking another sip of his beer, Kane chuckled aloud to himself as he thought of Abby. She had surprised him after their meeting with Agent Pike. In the 3 years that he’d known her, never had he seen such confidence, such fire, such defiance. Sure, Abby had always been a pain in the ass, challenging him at virtually every turn, wanting to add her two cents, but this was different. This was a whole new level, a whole new side to Abby Griffin. 

Kane had no idea what to expect for the next week, but one thing was certain, it most certainly was not going to be boring. 

**********

As they sat side by side somewhere over the midwest, Abby couldn’t help but to steal quick glances at the man to her left. Marcus Kane looked like a completely different person. Gone was the perfectly tailored suit, replaced by a pair of dark blue jeans, a light blue dress shirt, and a pair of leather boat shoes. His usual perfectly gelled hair was now loose and wavy. Abby couldn’t deny that he looked good, but it was unnerving. 

In an effort to take her mind off Kane’s appearance, Abby took out a thin folder from her carry on and passed it to her left. 

“What’s this?” Kane asked, furrowing his brow as he took the folder from her grasp. 

“These are the questions that Pike is going to ask us. The good news is, I know pretty much everything about you. The bad news is, you have a week to learn all of this about me.” 

Kane glanced at some of the questions before turning to her, an amused smile spreading across his lips. “You know all of this about me?” he asked doubtfully. 

“Scary, isn’t it?” 

“Ok. Do I have any allergies?”

“Tree nuts,” Abby said confidently. “And the full spectrum of human emotion.” 

“Funny.” Kane searched the list again, wanting to prove Abby wrong. “Ah, here we go. Boxers or briefs?” 

“Boxer briefs. Don’t try to trick me, Kane.” 

“You’re guessing. How would you even know that?”

“Remember last year when one of the interns knocked your coffee over?” 

“Of course! It hurt like hell?” 

“Well, I may have walked in as you were changing your pants.” Abby shrugged, seemingly unphased. 

Kane, on the other hand, was mortified. “You what?!”

“Oh relax. It was an accident.” 

Kane shook his head in disbelief, grateful he never knew that Abby had walked in on him. How humiliating, he thought to himself. Wanting to change the subject, he scanned the questions again. “Who’s place do we stay at? That’s easy. Mine.” 

“And why wouldn’t we stay at mine?” Abby crossed her arms in front of her, looking slightly offended.

“Because I live at Central Park West and you probably live in some tiny studio apartment with a couple cats.” 

“You’re such a dick,” she scoffed. “For your information, I have a two bedroom in Brooklyn Heights. I don’t have any pets but, if I did, it would be a dog.”

Kane didn’t bother to respond, turning his attention back to the sample questions in front of him. Before he could select another one from the list, Abby said, “There was one question I couldn’t answer.”

“Oh? And which one is that?” he asked, somewhat intrigued. 

“Your family. You told Pike that you’re an only child and both your parents are dead.”

“So?” Kane probably said it a little harsher than he intended, but his family was not something he enjoyed talking about. It wasn’t that he didn’t love and miss his parents, he did, very much. It was just too painful to dredge up. 

Abby could see the change in Kane’s demeanor at the mention of his family. “Look Kane, I’m not trying to upset you, but we are supposed to be engaged. Even if Pike doesn’t ask that particular question, you better believe my parents will.” 

Kane stared at her for a moment, his jaw clenched. “You’re right. I’m sorry,” he sighed. “My parents were told that they would probably never have children, at least not naturally. When I came along, I was a bit of a surprise.”

“Obviously a happy one.” 

Kane offered a small smile. “Yes. It was just the three of us and we were extremely close. My father was a custodian for the local school district and my mother was a secretary at our church. Needless to say, money was always tight.” 

Abby was shocked. She would have sworn that Kane came from wealth; a spoiled and entitled trust fund baby. At least that was the way he presented himself. 

“When I was 15, my father had a heart attack at work. After he passed, my mother was forced to take on a second job just to put food on our table. I wanted to find a job as well, but she wouldn’t hear of it. She wanted me to focus on school so, one day, I could make a better life for myself.” 

Kane took a sip of his whiskey and Abby could tell it was merely to give him a few seconds to collect himself. She had known him long enough to know when he was upset and talking about his parents was clearly emotional for him, despite his best attempts to hide it. 

“A few weeks before I was scheduled to leave for my freshman year of college, she passed away. After the funeral, I packed up the house, sold off what I could, and then left for school. I haven’t been back since.” 

“I’m sorry,” Abby said sincerely. All these years, she thought Kane was just a stuck up rich boy when, in reality, he had lost his parents and was forced to scrape and crawl for everything he had. To be where he was today was an amazing accomplishment. “I’m sure your parents would be very proud of you.”

“I don’t need your pity,” he snapped. “I only told you because I had no choice.” 

And, just like that, Kane was back to being the asshole Abby always thought he was. To think she was actually feeling sorry for him! “Here!” she said, shoving a legal pad into his chest. “I wrote down my answers to the questions. I suggest you look it over.”

With that, Abby put in her earbuds, hoping to escape from Kane for the remainder of their flight. It was going to be a very long week, she thought to herself, and it would be a miracle if they didn’t kill each other before their interview at USCIS. 


	4. 4

Just before 5 o’clock, Kane looked out the window of their chartered flight from Juneau to Sitka, Alaska. What he saw practically took his breath away; clear skies, snow capped mountains, deep blue water, and lush green vegetation. It looked like something off a postcard and nothing like the feet of snow and sled dogs that he pictured in his mind whenever someone mentioned Alaska. 

Glancing over, he noticed Abby staring straight ahead, her mouth in a hard line. She hadn’t spoken to him in several hours; not since shoving the legal pad containing her answers into the center of his chest. Kane hadn’t meant to be such an asshole, but it was difficult for him to discuss his family. It was the reason he didn’t talk about them, with anyone. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, out of the blue. 

Abby’s head snapped in his direction, clearly not expecting his sudden apology. “What?”

“I just wanted to apologize for snapping at you earlier. I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine,” Abby said, waving it off. “Did you look over my answers?”

“Yes,” he said, holding up the pad. “I now know more about you than I ever thought possible.”

Abby reached over and snatched it from his grasp. “Ok. Let’s see about that, Mr. Kane.” 

“You’re seriously testing me?”

“You’re damn right I am.” Scanning the questions, Abby wanted to go easy on him; at first anyway. “Favorite comfort food?”

“Haagen Dazs Coffee ice cream.” 

“Favorite actress?”

“Sandra Bullock.” 

Damn. He really did study her answers. “Don’t look so smug, Kane. Those were easy.” 

“Ok, then give me a hard one.” 

“What were my extracurriculars in high school?”

“You played Volleyball and you were on the Track team. You were also a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish Club.” Kane tilted his head to the side, studying her closely. “How the hell were you on the Volleyball team? Aren’t you supposed to be tall to play Volleyball?”

Abby rolled her eyes. “I was the setter, jackass!”

Kane laughed, taking unexpected pleasure in the fact that he was annoying her. “What else you got?” he asked, pointing to the questions. 

“How do I sleep?”

“On your side. Face it, Abby, I know the answer to every question you gave me.” 

“Fine. I’ll give you that, but…” she trailed off, biting her lower lip. “These are all basic, superficial questions. They are either about you or about me.”

“Okay?”

“I mean, sure, Pike is going to ask these questions, but he’s also going to ask about  _ us _ .” 

“What do you mean?”

“Where was our first date? How do we celebrate the holidays? Are we religious? Do we plan to have children? Before our interview, you and I need to sit down and come up with our story. Our engagement may be fake, but we need to convince everyone, including my parents and Agent Pike that this is forever.”

Kane knew she was right. Pike was going to be a bloodhound and he wasn’t going to go easy on them. He was going to do everything in his power to trip them up and catch them in a lie. “You’re right,” he nodded. “We definitely need to discuss every aspect of our relationship; make sure we are on the same page.” 

Abby nodded. “We should be landing in a few minutes, but we’ll have time on the way to my parents house to come up with some of the basics.” 

“Is it far?” he asked, wondering how much longer their journey would last. 

“About 15 minutes. My parents dropped off one of their vehicles for us earlier today, so we won’t have to call a cab.” 

As they prepared to land, Kane was suddenly a ball of nerves. Not only was he traveling across the country with Abby for over a week, but he was traveling to her hometown. He would be meeting and spending time with her parents; staying in their home. This would be a stressful situation if he and Abby were truly a couple, let alone two people pretending to be in love. The fact that Kane had been alone for almost 22 years was only making him more anxious. Sure, he had dated since his mother’s passing at the age of 18, but never anything serious enough to meet a significant other’s family. 

**********

As promised, 15 minutes after leaving the airport, Abby pulled her mother’s Nissan Pathfinder into the driveway of the McCall family home. It was a beautiful craftsman style that sat atop Eliason Loop, an established family friendly neighborhood, with gorgeous views of the ocean and Mount Edgecumbe. 

Climbing out of the vehicle, Kane looked up at the upper middle class dwelling. He felt oddly self-conscious as he mentally compared it to the modest brick ranch his family called home in Brantford, Ontario. He might have a Central Park West address now but, growing up, his house was never something he was proud of. Everything had been original to it’s 1962 construction, including endless dark wood paneling, floral wallpaper, and orange shag carpeting; Kane was pretty sure the entire structure would fit in the McCall’s garage. 

“You ok?” Abby’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

“Fine,” Kane replied as he moved their luggage from the trunk. “Your parents have a beautiful home.” 

Abby looked up at the two story house, hands on her hips. “They do, but it wasn’t always this nice. They bought it when I was in middle school and they completely renovated the entire thing.”

“George! They’re here!” 

Kane and Abby turned to see her mother standing on the front porch, her father emerging from the house. 

“Here we go,” Abby whispered as she grabbed one of her bags and headed up the stairs. “Hi Mom! Hi Dad!” 

Kane followed behind with the rest of their luggage, trying to keep a respectable distance so he didn’t intrude on the family reunion. 

The older couple looked to be in their early 60s. Sharon McCall resembled her daughter, petite with similar features, but her hair was more of a dirty blonde. George, on the other hand, was at least 6’ tall with gray hair and a muscular build; and Marcus was pretty sure the man could break him in half if he wanted to. 

“Mom. Dad. This is Marcus,” Abby said, wiggling out of her mother’s embrace and looping her arm through his. It felt horribly awkward, but she prayed they looked like a normal couple in love. 

“Welcome to Sitka.” George smiled, offering his hand, which Marcus shook firmly. “It’s nice to meet you, Marcus.”

“Yes, we’ve heard so much about you,” Sharon added. “I’m happy we finally get to meet the man Abby has been talking about for the last 3 years.” Abby’s eyes widened, knowing the hidden meaning behind her mother’s words.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you both. Thank you for having me.” 

“Well, come on in, you two. We have a little surprise for you.” George motioned for them to follow as he placed his hand on his wife’s back and led her back into the house. 

“Surprise?” Kane whispered as he and Abby followed her parents up the stairs and into the house. She shrugged in response, silently praying their surprise wasn’t what she was thinking. It was…

**********

“SURPRISE!!!”

Abby and Kane stood side by side, matching looks of shock on their faces, as they took in the packed house, full of McCall family and friends. “Mom! What did you do?!” Abby said to her, smiling the entire time as not to seem upset. 

“It’s just a little get together to welcome you home, sweetheart. Everyone was so excited to see you.” Sharon turned her attention to their guests, “Let’s give these two a chance to take their bags upstairs. In the meantime, the food is ready everyone. Help yourselves!”

As the majority of the crowd headed for the catered buffet the McCalls set up in their kitchen and dining room, Abby and Marcus started for the stairs. Luckily for them, no one stopped to talk, opting instead to smile and mouth a quick hello as they passed. 

They walked in silence up the staircase and down the second floor hallway, stopping at the last door on the right. “This is us,” Abby said, pushing open the door and stepping inside.

Kane closed the door behind them in an attempt to give them a little privacy. “A party?!” he exclaimed in his usual exasperated tone.

“Looks that way.” Abby dropped her belongings on the bed and sat down on the edge completely exhausted, not only from their journey, but also from her parents' little surprise. While she knew their hearts were in the right place, the last thing she wanted to deal with at the moment was a house full of their closest family and friends, especially with Kane in tow. 

Kane’s eyes scanned the room as he contemplated where to put his bags. “You don’t expect me to sleep in here, do you?”

“We’re supposed to be a couple, Kane. Don’t you think my parents would suspect something if I put you in the guest room?”

Damn. She had a point. “Fine. So what’s the plan?”

“It’s a king bed. We can either share or you can sleep on the floor. You’re choice.” Mustering up the strength, Abby rose from the bed and started to unpack her belongings as Kane continued to stand in the middle of the room. 

“You really had no idea your parents were having a party?”

“Of course not! Believe me, it’s the last thing I want to deal with right now.” Abby watched out of the corner of her eye as Kane moved to the opposite side of the room, finally setting his bags down on the floor and taking a seat in the oversized chair. She knew him well enough to read his body language and she could tell he was annoyed and stressed by the situation they now found themselves in. While Abby felt the same way, Kane was the one that put them in this situation. “Look, we’re here because of you!”

Kane’s head snapped up. “I’m aware!”

“Then suck it up, buttercup, because if this is going to work, people need to think that we are in love.”

Kane glared at her, his jaw clenched, but didn’t immediately respond. Finally, with a heavy sigh, he pushed himself to his feet. “I know. I’m sorry. I just wasn’t anticipating a full house, that’s all.”

“Neither was I, but it is what it is. The only thing we can do is go downstairs, smile, and act like a happy couple. Can you do that?”

“Yes,” he nodded. 

“Fabulous. Let’s get on with it then.” 

**********

“Abby!”

The dual high pitched squeal could only come from Abby’s oldest friends. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to see both women making a beeline for her and Marcus. “Callie! Diana! It’s so good to see you.” The three women embraced as Marcus looked on, shifting his weight from side to side. 

“I can’t believe you’re finally home,” said the dark haired woman. “What’s it been? Almost two years?”

Abby smiled at the two women. “I know. I’m sorry. Things have just been so busy in New York.” It was true, of course, but Abby still felt a pang of guilt for not calling her two best friends more often. 

“We can see that,” said the blonde, smiling ear to ear and winking at Abby. 

Abby let out a nervous laugh. “Yes, this is my boyfriend, Marcus Kane.” Holding out her hand, she gestured for Marcus to step closer, which he did. “Marcus. I’d like you to meet my two oldest friends, Callie and Diana.” 

“Ladies. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Kane offered a warm smile, shaking both of their hands before wrapping his arm around Abby’s waist and pulling her to him. Both women furrowed their brows in confusion as they looked between Abby and Kane. 

“Kane? As in Kane, your boss?” asked Diana. 

“Yes, at the moment, Marcus is technically my boss.” 

“But you said…”

“It’s a long story,” Abby said, cutting Callie off before she could say anything more. “And one I will be happy to tell you all about. I promise.”

“We’re going to hold you to that. Girls night? Day after tomorrow?”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Abby smiled before giving Callie and Diana another hug. 

“Nice to meet you,” Kane added as Abby took him by the hand and led him into the kitchen. They passed several people on the way, saying their hellos as they went.

Once inside the large open kitchen, Abby thrust a plate and a set of silverware into his hands. “I’m starving. You have to be too.”

“Did your parents order enough food for the entire town?” Kane’s stomach growled as his eyes scanned the spread before him. Every inch of counter space was covered with silver pans of food; tossed salad, hot meats, various kinds of potatoes, vegetables, pasta. There was even a side table with several dessert options. 

“Most likely,” Abby chuckled, loading her plate. “The food is from Costello’s. It’s the best.” 

Kane hadn’t eaten a bite yet, but it looked amazing and smelled even better. His mouth watered as he filled his plate, suddenly grateful to not be eating his usual Chinese takeout or latest Hello Fresh recipe.

Abby appeared at his side, handing him a beer. “My parents are calling us over to sit with them. You ready for this?”

“Lead the way,” Kane said more confidently than he actually felt.


	5. 5

“I have to be honest with you, Marcus, I was quite surprised to hear that you and Abby were dating.” Abby’s mother started a few minutes after they sat down at the table to eat. While both Sharon and George were very welcoming and kind in the short time he’d been at their home, Marcus could sense their skepticism when it came to his relationship with their daughter. 

Kane swallowed the chicken in his mouth and took a healthy sip of his drink before responding. “Yes, that’s quite understandable. We tried very hard to keep our personal relationship to ourselves. Didn’t we?” he asked, looking at Abby. 

“We did,” she nodded. 

Sharon studied the couple in front of her. “I was under the impression that the two of you didn’t even like one another. At least, that is what Abby led us to believe for the past 3 years.”

“That’s true, I’m afraid.” All eyes snapped to Kane, surprised by his admission. 

“I’m sorry?” Sharon asked. 

“I’m ashamed to admit that we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot when I started at Wallace Publishing but, luckily for me, that slowly changed.” Kane smiled warmly as he reached out and took Abby’s hand, intertwining their fingers. 

Abby smiled, of course, but inside she felt like she was having an out of body experience. Here she was, sitting in her parents’ home, holding hands with Marcus Kane. What the hell was happening? She felt him squeeze her hand and she took that as a hint to elaborate further. “Believe me, it was very unexpected for both of us, I think?” Kane nodded, agreeing that their relationship had been a surprise to him as well. “But it happened and we’re very happy.” 

“Cheers to that!” George said, raising his beer in the air. 

Sharon smiled across the table at her daughter and Kane. “Yes, cheers. If the two of you are happy, then we’re happy.” 

“Thanks Mom.” Abby glanced over at Kane and they both smiled, obviously relieved that her parents seemed to accept and approve of their relationship. 

**********

Later that evening, after their guests had gone home, Abby’s father was settled in front of the big screen tv in the living room, while Kane had excused himself and headed upstairs. He insisted that he needed to make a few phone calls and catch up on his work emails. 

Once everything was tidied away and the dishwasher was loaded, Sharon McCall headed out to the backyard with two mugs of hot tea. She found Abby in front of the firepit. “May I join you?” She held out one of the mugs, offering it to her daughter. 

Abby jumped, clearly lost in her thoughts. “Of course. Thank you.” 

The two women sat in companionable silence for several minutes, sipping their tea and listening to the crackle of the fire. “Is Marcus still on the phone?” 

“Yes, I think so. He’s not one to take a day off, so I’m surprised he made it this long,” Abby laughed softly. 

“He seems very nice,” Sharon said, taking a sip of her drink. 

Abby sighed. “But?”

“I just can’t help but wonder at the timing of it all.” 

Here we go, Abby thought to herself. While she loved her mother dearly and they were very close, Sharon was never one to hold back. She always offered her opinion, whether Abby wanted it or not. “And what is that supposed to mean, Mom?”

“Abby, come on! You’ve been complaining about this man for the last 3 years and the only positive thing you’ve ever said was that he was good looking. You’ve consistently told me how cold and heartless he is and now you’re dating?”

“We’ve already told you, things changed. It was unexpected but it happened.” 

“You know I love you, sweetheart, but he’s your boss. A part of me can’t help but wonder if you’re only dating him to further your career.”

“Excuse me?” Abby was angry but she wasn’t sure if she was angry at her mother for making such an accusation or angry at herself because it was true. 

“You’ve always dreamed of becoming an Editor one day, and now your dream is coming true.” 

Abby suddenly stood up, crossing her arms tightly in front of her as she paced in front of the fire. “And of course you think the only reason is because I slept my way to the top? It couldn’t possibly be because I’m damn good at what I do and I’ve worked my ass off for the last 15 years, right?” 

Sharon stood as well, coming to stand directly in front of her daughter. “I know how hard you’ve worked, Abigail, and I know how talented you are. No one deserves this promotion more than you do. All I’m saying is maybe you just got tired of waiting for your chance, that’s all.”

“We’re engaged, Mom.” The words were out before Abby could stop herself and she regretted them as soon as they left her lips. This was not how she wanted to tell her mother that she and Kane were engaged, but she couldn’t bear the thought of her family believing she was using him to further her career. Abby needed her family to know that this was a serious relationship and not just some fling to get ahead. 

“You’re what?” Sharon asked, her mouth agape as she stared at Abby with wide eyes.

“We’re engaged. Marcus and I are getting married.”

“But…”

“But nothing Mom!” Abby cut her off. “I know you’re surprised that Marcus and I are together. I get it. It was unexpected for us too, but we love each other and we’re getting married.” Sharon was rendered speechless as Abby turned on heel and headed back into the house. 

**********

Closing his laptop, Kane took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had felt guilty about coming upstairs to check his messages, but he was now grateful he did. Almost 2 hours and countless correspondence later, he suddenly remembered why he never took time off; because the amount of phone calls and emails he had to dig his way out of upon his return were not worth the few hours of free time. 

With a sigh, Kane rose from the oversized chair and placed his laptop on the window bench next to his belongings. Digging into his suitcase, he pulled out his toiletry bag and a change of clothes before padding into the ensuite bathroom. 

Like the rest of the McCall home, the bathroom was newly renovated with a large rainforest shower and double vanity, complete with beautiful granite countertops. Kane briefly considered a shower, but after a long day of travel and socializing, he was utterly exhausted. Instead, he set his things on the countertop, brushed his teeth, and changed into a pair of navy blue pajama pants and a grey t-shirt. He was just gathering his dirty clothes when he heard Abby burst through the door, practically slamming it behind her. 

When Kane stepped into the bedroom, he found Abby sitting on the bed, her face buried in her hands. She was clearly upset, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Yes, they were supposed to be a couple but, in reality, they weren’t even friends. Was he supposed to comfort her? Give her space? “Everything ok?” he finally asked, walking over to his suitcase. 

“Not really,” Abby replied, shaking her head. “I told my mom we’re engaged.”

Kane’s head snapped around so fast it was almost painful. “You what?” he asked, carelessly tossing his clothes on the floor and crossing back to Abby. “We agreed to wait until the time was right. I presumed that meant when we were at least together.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It just slipped out.” 

“Explain.” Kane glared as he stood in front of her with his hands on his hips, a telltale sign that he was annoyed. 

Abby sighed, “She asked me if I was using you and our relationship to further my career.”

Kane’s brows knitted in confusion, shrugging his shoulders. “You are.” 

“Yes, but not in the way she insinuated. She basically accused me of sleeping my way to the top.” How could her own mother think such a thing? 

Kane studied her, worrying his lower lip. He suddenly felt a pang of guilt knowing this entire situation was his doing. Everything was becoming more complicated by the minute and Kane wondered how long they would be able to keep up their charade. If he’d kept his mouth shut and agreed to return to Canada, none of this would be happening. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “Is there anything I can do?”

Abby gave a mirthless laugh. “I don’t suppose you have an engagement ring hiding in your luggage, do you?” She flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling and cursing herself for not considering an engagement ring. Stupid, she thought to herself. “We’ll have to sneak out early tomorrow and pick one up in town. Hopefully my parents will never be the wiser.” 

“There’s no need for that,” Kane said as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “I think this will do.” 

Abby sat up to see Marcus Kane sitting next to her, a small black box in his hand. “Is that?”

“Yes.” 

Abby nodded slowly, looking at him like he was insane. “Do you always carry engagement rings in your luggage, Kane?”

“No,” he smirked. “But we did come here to tell your parents about our engagement, so I assumed a ring was a necessity.” He popped open the box to reveal a gorgeous white gold ring. 

While she was no expert, Abby knew enough to know that it was an emerald cut with a diamond frame and definitely over a carat. It was expensive. Naturally, her thoughts drifted to her ex-husband and the ring he had given her during their senior year of college. Still only students, money was extremely tight, so Jake had proposed with a ring that he could afford. While it was not the ring Abby had always dreamed of, it was beautiful and given to her by the man she loved. The man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with. This ring, Kane’s ring, was exactly what Abby would have chosen if she would have picked it out herself. Of course, she was never going to tell Kane that.

When Abby didn’t say anything, Kane felt self-conscious about his choice. He had never picked out an engagement ring before, had never thought he would have to. Still, despite this being a fake relationship, he wanted Abby to have something nice. He’d agonized, longer than he cared to admit, about which ring she would prefer; what would suit her. Of course, he was never going to tell Abby that. “We needed a ring, so I stopped on my way home from the office yesterday and picked the first one I saw in the case. It’ll do, yes?”

“Yes, it’s fine. It’s very pretty.” 

Kane nodded and then handed Abby the box with the ring still inside. He was well aware that the man was supposed to slip the ring over the woman’s finger, but this wasn’t an actual engagement and he wasn’t about to make an ass out of himself. 

Abby took the box from his outstretched hand and placed it on the nightstand. “Have you decided where you’re going to sleep?” she asked, desperately wanting to change the subject. 

“Since it’s a king, I suppose we can try to share. Just make sure you stay on your side.” 

With a scoff, Abby got up and removed the decorative pillows from the bed before pulling the covers back. Kane watched as she then picked up the pillows one by one and placed them down the center of the bed, effectively forming a wall. “There,” she said, triumphantly. 

“What are we, 6?” 

Abby rolled her eyes. “I’m going to change.” 

Once Abby disappeared into the bathroom, Kane let out a heavy sigh and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. What a day, he thought to himself. He crawled into bed, wanting to get settled and, with any luck, fall asleep before Abby returned. 

**********

Behind the closed bathroom door, Abby braced her arms on the vanity and hung her head. “This is insane,” she said quietly to herself, looking in the mirror. “What the hell are we doing?”

Shaking her head at the ridiculousness of their current situation, Abby wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or cry. This was quickly turning into one of those awful tv movies. You know, the ones on Hallmark or Lifetime, where a man and a woman pretend to be a couple, endure several days of awkwardness, and then unexpectedly fall in love. Except this was real life and there was no way she and Marcus Kane would be falling in love when the credits rolled. Not happening. 

Knowing she couldn’t stay in the bathroom all night, although she briefly considered it, Abby washed her face and changed into a pair of sleep shorts and a loose fitting t-shirt. 

Stepping back into the bedroom, it was darker than when she’d left, the only light now coming from one of the small bedside lamps. Kane was already settled on his side of the bed, lying on his back with one arm behind his head. 

“Don’t worry, I’m respecting your pillow wall,” he said, turning to look at her. 

“You better.” Abby turned off the lamp and then slid into the bed, consciously making a point to stay as close to the edge as she could. 

They were quiet for several minutes, both staring at the ceiling and both completely at a loss for what to say or do. “Sooooooo…” Kane finally said in an exaggerated way. “Did you ever think we would be sharing a bed?”

Abby could hear the amusement in his voice. “Not once.” 

“Ouch.” 

Turning over so she was facing away from him, Abby pulled the comforter up and snuggled into her pillow. “If you snore, I’ll smother you in your sleep, Kane,” she said as her eyes closed.

Kane chuckled softly behind her. “Goodnight Abby.”

“Goodnight.” 


	6. 6

The next morning, Abby rolled over, burrowing further into the warm, plush comforter. She had slept surprisingly well and was just about to drift off again when she suddenly remembered that she was not alone. Her eyes snapped open to find Kane, on his back with his hands behind his head, smirking at her and looking very much awake. 

“Good Morning Sweetie,” he said, eyes twinkling. 

“How long have you been awake?” Abby sat up, trying her best to subtly smooth her bedhead and wipe a spot of drool from the corner of her mouth. 

“Long enough.” Kane smiled, holding up his phone for Abby to see. The screen was illuminated with what looked to be a video. A video of Abby. 

“Did you take a video of me sleeping?” Instinctively, she reached for the phone, but he was too quick, snatching it back and out of her reach. “Kane! I swear to God!”

He pushed play and, sure enough, it was a video taken that morning of Abby sleeping next to him. “Wait for it,” he teased, holding the phone far enough away where she would be unable to steal it. 

Abby was mortified when the distinct sound of her snoring, embarrassingly loud, filled the room. “I hate you! Why would you do that?”

Kane couldn’t hold back his laughter as Abby flung one of the decorative pillows at his head, which he managed to deflect with his arm. “You threatened to smother me last night if I snored. Lucky for you, I am not as violent.” 

“Delete it!” Abby crossed her arms over her chest, a sign that she was not in the mood for games. 

“No way,” Kane said as he slid from the bed and headed for the bathroom. “You never know when this may come in handy.” 

Another pillow flew through the air but, once again, Kane was too quick and he darted behind the bathroom before it could hit its mark. “Ugh!” Abby yelled as she flopped back onto the bed, cursing her  _ fiance. _

**********

“Marcus, the ring is beautiful,” Sharon said as she held Abby’s hand, examining the new accessory on her left hand. “You did well.” 

“Thank you.” Kane offered a tight smile, looking slightly embarrassed and unsure how to act. 

Abby, Kane and her parents sat down at the dining room table where Sharon had outdone herself preparing a large family breakfast of eggs, hash browns, french toast, fresh tomatoes with garlic, bacon, sausage, toast, and fruit. It was far too much food for only four people, but it served a dual purpose. For one, the older woman felt guilty for insinuating that Abby was using Marcus to further her career. Second, she wanted to celebrate her daughter’s engagement with a special treat. 

“This looks amazing.” Kane’s mouth watered at the sight of the breakfast before him. It wasn’t that he didn’t eat well, he did. In fact, he often dined at some of the most well known and upscale restaurants in New York, but it would never compare to a home cooked meal. He suddenly felt a twinge of sadness, the meal reminding him of the large breakfast his mother would prepare every Sunday morning while he was growing up. 

“So, have the two of you set a date?” George asked, cutting into his french toast. 

“Umm, we haven’t really had a chance to talk about it yet,” Abby answered when she and Kane looked at one another, a bit unsure. 

“Well hopefully it’s sooner, rather than later,” said Sharon. “You two need to get started if you’re going to have those five children you’ve always talked about Abigail.” 

“Five?!” Marcus croaked, practically choking on a piece of bacon. 

“Mom!” Abby glared at her mother. 

Sharon held up her hands, “Ok, I’m sorry, but one or two would be nice!”

Abby rolled her eyes at her mother while Marcus kept his head down, focusing on his scrambled eggs. 

**********

When breakfast was over, George asked Abby to join him for a walk around the neighborhood, leaving Sharon and Kane to finish cleaning up. It was a gorgeous summer morning with clear blue skies and the temperature was already near 70 degrees. 

Father and daughter walked side by side as they headed down Kiksadi Court. It was soon clear to Abby that they were heading in the direction of her father’s favorite bakery, Grandma Tillie’s. “Really Dad?” she smiled. 

“What? This is our Sunday morning tradition. You’re telling me you’re not craving a cinnamon roll or a cranberry orange donut?”

“Well, I am now!” Abby laughed, nudging her father in the arm as they trekked towards the bakery. “But I don’t know how we’ll have room for anything else after the breakfast we just ate?”

“My cinnamon roll pocket is empty,” he smiled, rubbing his belly. “Plenty of room. What are you going to get for Marcus?”

“Hmm. Either a plain glaze or a cinnamon and sugar donut,” she answered, confidently. After working as Kane’s assistant for the last three years, she had gotten him countless donuts and she knew what he liked and what he didn’t. He was traditional when it came to his baked goods and the blueberry lemon or chocolate hazelnut might just send him over the edge. 

“I like him,” George said, glancing over at Abby. “He’s not at all how you or your mother described him.”

“Like we said last night, we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter how you start. All that matters is how you end.” George wrapped his arm around his daughter’s shoulders as they walked, pulling her close. “You and Marcus remind me a lot of me and your mom.” 

“Really? How?” she asked in disbelief. Abby’s parents had known each other their entire lives, destined to be together. They were soulmates. How on earth could her father compare them to her and Marcus?

George chuckled. “I love your mother with all my heart and I wouldn’t want to spend my life with anyone else, but we used to be like oil and water.”

Abby stopped walking and stared at her father like he had lost his mind. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s true. There was a time when we could barely be in the same room without it erupting into a shouting match.”

They started walking again and Abby tried to digest what she had just been told. She always thought her parents were meant to be; love at first sight. It was unimaginable to think of them as anything but deeply in love. “What changed?” 

“To tell you the truth, I have no idea,” he smiled. “One day I wanted to strangle her and the next I found myself picking a fight just to get her attention.”

“I had no idea.”

“Jake wasn’t right for you, Abby, and that’s even more obvious now that I’ve met Marcus.”

Abby was floored by her father’s admission. What was happening? “I thought you always liked Jake?” 

“He was ok,” George shrugged. “I mean, he was polite, educated, and I could see how much you loved him.” 

“I sense a but coming.” 

George stopped, turning to face Abby. “I never saw Jake look at you the way Marcus does.” 

Abby swallowed hard. What on earth was he talking about? “And how does Marcus look at me?” 

“The same way I look at your mother.” George placed his hand on the small of his daughter’s back and nudged her forward. “Now come on. Those cinnamon rolls are calling my name!”

Abby nodded and started walking at her father’s side once again. He had to be mistaken, seeing what he wanted to see. There was no way Marcus Kane looked at her with anything other than annoyance. Right?

**********

While Abby and George were on their donut run, Kane was busy helping Sharon clean up after their large family breakfast. They worked comfortably together, making small talk as they went along. At first, he was terrified when George announced that he and Abby were taking a walk, knowing that it meant he would be alone with Sharon for an extended period. Surprisingly, Kane found himself enjoying the older woman’s company. 

“I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier when I brought up children,” Sharon said out of the blue as she loaded the last of the dishes into the dishwasher. 

“You didn’t.” Kane smiled politely although, if he was being honest, it did make him uncomfortable. It was an awkward topic to discuss under normal circumstances, let alone during a fake relationship. He and Abby had talked about children during the car ride from the airport, knowing it was something her parents would inquire about. In the end, they agreed to say that they hoped to have children in the near future, mostly like 1-2 given that they were both older. 

Sharon pulled two coffee cups from one of the upper cabinets and filled them both, placing one in front of Kane as he stood at the kitchen island. “You can tell me to mind my business, but have you and Abby discussed having a family of your own?”

Kane took a healthy sip of his coffee, nodding his head. “Yes, we talked about it. It’s definitely something we both want when the time is right.” 

“Fair enough.” Sharon took another sip of his drink before continuing, “Growing up an only child, Abby always wanted a big family, which I’m sure you already know.” Kane nodded as if it was something Abby had told him. “She was devastated after her miscarriage and then to find out that asshat she was married to was cheating,” Sharon trailed, visibly upset. Unexpectedly, she reached out, placing her hand on top of Kane’s as it rested on the countertop. “I’m so grateful she has you, Marcus. I wish you both nothing but happiness.”

Kane had no idea how to respond. Before he could even think about what he was saying, “I’m the lucky one.” Where the hell did that come from? Immediately, he told himself he was just saying what any fiance would say and what any future mother in law would want to hear. Right?

**********

Once Sharon headed upstairs to put away the laundry, Kane made his way out to the deck for some much needed fresh air. He thought this would be easy. It was simply a business transaction; a harmless fake marriage that would allow him to remain in the US and help Abby finally realize her dream of becoming an editor. It was a win win. No one would get hurt, or so he thought. It wasn’t until now that Kane realized their little charade had far more reaching effects than he ever stopped to consider. 


	7. 7

“Penny for your thoughts?”

Startled, Kane turned to see Abby stepping out onto the deck. He didn’t know how long he’d been outside, but it was at least long enough for Abby and George to return from their walk. “How was your walk?” he asked, turning his attention back to the scenic view. 

“Good.” Slowly, Abby crossed to Kane, coming to stand beside him as they both leaned against the railing. “There’s a cinnamon and sugar donut on the kitchen counter for you.”

“I’m confused,” he said, furrowing his brow. 

“We walked to Grandma Tillie’s; the best bakery in Alaska.” 

“It kind of defeats the purpose of the walk, doesn’t it?” 

“Yep.” They both laughed, smiling at one another, and Abby couldn’t help but think of how incredibly handsome Marcus Kane looked with a smile on his face, his hair unstyled, and dressed more casually than she had ever seen him. 

“Hey you two,” Sharon called, poking her head out the slider. “Be ready at 6 o’clock.” 

“For what?” 

“You’re father and I want to take you and Marcus out to dinner at Ilio’s. The poor guy hasn’t seen anything but our house and the airport since you arrived.” 

Abby glanced over at Kane to gauge his reaction. She was surprised when he merely shrugged, “Fine with me.” 

“Ok, we’ll be ready.” 

Once Sharon disappeared back into the house, Kane let out a sigh. “Well, since we are going out tonight, I’m going to head upstairs and get a little work done. Is that ok?”

“Of course. I have a few things I need to do as well.”

Kane nodded and then headed back inside, leaving Abby alone on the deck. Great, a night out with Kane and her parents. This should be fun, she thought sarcastically. From what she knew of Marcus Kane, he liked the finer things in life, always eating at the best restaurants and sporting the most expensive clothes. Hell, he lived at Central Park West for Christ’s sake! What would he think of Ilio’s? To Abby, and everyone else in Sitka, it was a staple of the community and easily the best food in town. Specializing in Italian cuisine, their entrees ranged anywhere from $15 all the way up to $60, which meant it was one of the fancier restaurants in Sitka. She just prayed he would find something on the menu that was up to his impossibly high standards. 

**********

By early evening, Kane was standing in front of the full length mirror in a pair of dark jeans, a black dress shirt, and black tabor loafers. He left the top two buttons of his shirt undone, rolled up his sleeves, and ran a hand through his still damp hair. Giving himself a final once over, he was pleased with his appearance. He wanted to look nice since they were going out to dinner, but he didn’t want to appear too formal. This was Sitka, Alaska after all, not New York City. 

“I’m heading downstairs,” he called to Abby through the closed bathroom door. 

“Ok,” he heard her yell. “I’ll be down soon.” 

“Yeah, sure you will,” Kane muttered under his breath as he left the room, closing the door behind him. 

When Abby heard the door close, she came out of the bathroom wrapped in one of the bath towels. She would have been dressed already, but the truth was she had purposely been stalling to give Kane a chance to finish dressing and leave. 

Crossing to the closet, Abby pulled open the double doors and considered her options for their dinner at Ilio’s. A pair of heels with nice jeans and blouse would be perfectly acceptable, but Abby found herself eyeing the new cold shoulder mini dress she purchased last week at her favorite New York boutique. She tried to tell herself she simply wanted to wear her new dress and that she wanted to look nice for their evening out but, deep down, Abby knew that wasn’t entirely true. A part of her wanted to wear it for Kane. A part of her wanted him to notice. A part of her wanted him to like what he saw. 

“Ugh! What the hell is wrong with you, Abby!” she groaned. 

**********

“You a baseball fan, Marcus?” George asked as he, Sharon, and Kane sat in the living room sofa watching the Mariners game and waiting for Abby to get ready. 

“I enjoy it but, growing up in Ontario, I was always more of a hockey guy.”

“Did you play?”

“My entire life,” Kane nodded. “Until I was about 16.” He decided not to go into further detail, leaving out the fact that he was forced to quit when his father died and his mother could no longer afford for him to play. Kane sometimes wondered what his life would have been if his father had lived and he had been able to continue playing the game that he loved. He had always been a talented player and there had been a lot of interest from the Ontario Hockey League during his final season. Would he have one day made it to the NHL? Perhaps. 

“Finally!” Sharon exclaimed, pulling Kane from his thoughts. 

Kane turned his head to see Abby walking into the room and he instantly did a double-take. Sure, he saw Abby dressed up on a daily basis at work, but this was different. At work, she often wore dress pants, pencil skirts, or long dresses, and her hair was always up. But now, the sight of her in a short navy blue dress, shoulders exposed, and her hair down nearly took his breath away. She was absolutely beautiful and he quickly averted his eyes, looking down at his hands, before she noticed his jaw on the floor. 

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” she apologized. She sat down next to Kane on the sofa and finished fastening the straps of her navy wedge heels. 

“We need to get going if we want to make our reservation.” 

Kane stood up and held out his hand, helping Abby to her feet. “You look lovely,” he smiled. 

Abby felt her stomach flutter, something she hadn’t felt in years. “Thank you.” They stood there, her hand in his, and their eyes locked. Something was happening. 

“Come on, you two!” The sound of Sharon’s voice snapped them both out of their trance as Kane dropped Abby’s hand and they both took a step back. 

“Shall we?” he asked, a shy smile on his lips. 

**********

Ilio’s Ristorante was a beautifully renovated brick building overlooking Sitka Sound Harbor. There were two outdoor patios, one on the first floor and another on the second, as well as a rooftop deck full of string lights and outdoor gas firepits. 

Kane was grateful that Abby’s parents had made a reservation because the restaurant was packed, both inside and out. They were seated at a cozy four person rectangular table on the upper level outdoor patio. 

“It really is beautiful here,” Kane said as he looked out over the water. “You don’t get this in the city, that’s for sure.” 

“Hopefully the two of you will come visit more than once every two years to enjoy it,” Sharon winked across the table at Abby and Kane. They both smiled, glancing nervously at one another. 

**********

After enjoying a delicious meal, Abby, Kane, and her parents made their way out of the Ilio’s and toward the parking lot. Sharon had insisted that the couples drive in separate cars, just in case they had different plans after dinner. “You’re father and I are going to head home,” she announced as they approached their vehicles. “What are your plans?”

Abby shrugged, “I think we’ll just head back too.” Under normal circumstances, with an actual significant other, Abby wouldn’t even think of calling it a night so soon. But with Marcus Kane in tow? No. 

“Abby! Don’t be ridiculous!” Sharon looked at her daughter like she had lost her mind. “Show your fiance around town. Stop at Lafferty’s for a drink. Take a walk on the beach. Do something!” 

“Yeah, come on, sweetheart,” Kane smiled, gently elbowing her in the arm. “The night is young.” 

Abby’s eyes narrowed on him before she turned to Sharon and George. “Maybe you’re right. A drink, or two, does sound nice.” 

“Have fun!” With that, Sharon and George hopped into their Explorer, backed out of their parking space, and headed home, leaving Abby and Kane standing in the lot. 

“Alright, so what’s the plan?” 

“Get in the car, Kane,” she said, rolling her eyes. 

**********

“A convenience store?” 

Ignoring him, Abby dug in her purse and pulled out her debit card. “Here,” she said, handing it to him. “Get me some White Claw and whatever you like.” 

“Ok, you’ve lost me.” 

“You and I still need to talk and get to know one another better. We need to get our story straight for when we meet with Pike next week and we can’t do that at my parents’ house. What if they overhead us?” 

“So, we are going to sit in the car and drink? What are we? Teenagers?” When Abby glared at him in response, he knew he was fighting a losing battle. “Okay,” he said, holding up his hands in defeat. “I’ll go.” 

**********

Over a half hour later, Abby turned down a dark and secluded dirt road. As Kane looked out into the blackness, he couldn’t see anything but the road in front of them and the surrounding trees illuminated by the headlights. There were no streetlights, no houses, and no other cars that he could see. “Are you taking me into the middle of the woods to kill me?”

The seriousness of his tone and worried look on Kane’s face almost made Abby laugh out loud, but she managed to suppress it. “The thought has crossed my mind,” she replied without taking her eyes off the road. 

Finally, they emerged from the trees and Abby drove along a stone-filled beach, the crunch of the tires the only sound. After a few hundred yards, she put the vehicle in reverse and back up towards the shoreline. “We’re here,” she smiled over at Kane before sliding out of the driver’s seat.

“We’re where?” Kane asked as he grabbed the bag with their alcohol and hurried after her. 

Abby went around to the back of the Pathfinder and popped open the hatch. Carefully, as not to ruin her dress or give Kane a show, she lifted herself onto the tailgate, her legs dangling off the edge. “This is Paxton Beach, one of Sitka’s best kept secrets. It’s a local spot, free from tourists.” 

The full moon was so bright that the calm water and beach were dimly visible to Kane. He had to admit that it was beautiful and reminded him of his home back in Ontario. “So what you’re saying is this is the spot where all the local teenagers come to…..be alone?” he asked, smirking.

“I’m sure some do, but that is  _ NOT _ why we are here, I can assure you.” 

“Whatever you say dear,” he chuckled as he hopped up to sit beside her. Kane reached into the paper bag and pulled out a six pack of White Claw, handing it to Abby. “Here you go.” 

“Thank you.” Abby pulled out a can of raspberry and popped it open, taking a healthy swig. As she unfastened the straps of her shoes and kicked them onto the beach, Kane opened a bottle of Blue Moon for himself. 

They sat in companionable silence for a time, simply enjoying their drinks and the fresh Alaskan air. “I’m sorry,” Kane finally said out of the blue. 

“For what?” Abby asked, confused.

Kane looked up from his beer, emitting a mirthless laugh. “Seriously? For everything. For putting you in this situation. For forcing you to lie to your family and friends. Everything.”

The sincerity in his eyes was unnerving to Abby. She wasn’t used to seeing this side of Marcus Kane. “I appreciate that, but what’s done and is done and we can’t back out now. We just have to see this through.” 

Kane nodded, knowing she was right. If they confessed now, there would be serious consequences for them both. “Still, I just need to say it,” he said, swallowing hard. “I’m sorry.” 

**********

“What’s your deal, Kane?” Abby asked some time later. They were now several drinks in and she was feeling a bit bold. 

“Excuse me?”

“You’re like Jekyll and Hyde. Since the day I met you, you’ve been nothing but cold and closed off with your gelled hair and tailored suits. And now you’re like a real person, sitting here in jeans and tousled hair. Hell, I didn’t even know you had teeth until you smiled yesterday.”

Kane took a sip of his drink. “You’re point?” he asked, narrowing his eyes a bit. 

“I’m just curious which version is the real you?” Abby shrugged. 

Kane sighed, looking out at the water. “I don’t mean to be an asshole at work.” 

Abby scoffed, shaking her head. 

“It’s true,” he said defensively. “I just have high expectations for myself and those around me. It’s important to stay focused and professional. I can’t afford distractions.” 

“Distractions?” she asked, incredulously. “Getting to know your co-workers is a distraction? Having a personal conversation is a distraction? Attending the annual Christmas party is a distraction?”

Kane looked down at the bottle in his hands and mumbled something Abby couldn’t quite make out.

“What was that?” she asked. 

Kane took a deep breath. “ _ YOU _ are a distraction,” he finally said, looking up to meet her eyes. 

Abby was speechless. What the hell was he saying. “Wha...what?”

“Do you remember my first day at Wallace? When I said you were nothing more than my assistant?”

How could she forget? He had been such a pompous asshole that she wanted to slap him in the face. “It’s hard to forget.” 

“My job is everything to me. It’s all I have,” he started. “And then, you walked into my office and you were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I panicked.” 

Abby stared at the man sitting next to her, unsure of how to respond. What was she supposed to say to that? “So, naturally, your response was to act like a mean jackass. Makes sense.” 

Kane smiled, shaking his head. “It was stupid. I admit it but, like I said, I panicked. I needed to keep you at arms length because if I didn’t…” he trailed off, staring at her intently. 

“Please Kane,” she scoffed. “What makes you think you would have had a chance with me?” Abby joked because she didn’t know what else to do. 

They both laughed, smiling at one another, as the air suddenly became thick. It was obvious that something was shifting between them. With the courage of several Blue Moons, Kane leaned in slowly, his lips meeting Abby’s tentatively as he reached up to cup her cheek. He expected her to pull away at any moment, but she didn’t. 

Abby hesitated for a split second, but the feel of his lips on hers and his hand on her cheek sent electricity coursing through her entire body. The next thing she knew, Kane broke their kiss, hopping down onto the beach. Abby willingly opened her legs, allowing him to stand between them as she sat on the tailgate. When he captured her lips again, Abby moaned into his mouth, weaving her hands into his thick locks. 

Eventually, Kane moved from her mouth, to her jaw, and down to her neck. “Kane,” Abby breathed as he continued his assault.

He stopped, pulling back to look into her eyes. “Marcus.”

Abby nodded in understanding. “Marcus,” she whispered and pulled him back to her. They continued to devour one another and it was obvious that Marcus wanted Abby to take the lead, still unsure if she wanted this; wanted him. Impatient as ever, Abby’s hands started to travel up and down his body, feeling the hard, toned muscled beneath his shirt. Inevitably, it wasn’t long before she felt something else poking her in the leg. 

For a split second, Abby questioned whether this is what she wanted? Did she want this? Did she want this with Kane, or Marcus? Did she want to complicate this situation even more? Any doubt in her mind was silenced as soon as she felt his lips on her neck and his thumb graze across her nipple. 

With deft fingers, Abby popped the button on his jeans and eased the zipper down. Just as eager, Marcus pushed his jeans and underwear down until his cock sprang free. 

“Marcus. Please.” 

Fuck. Marcus pushed her underwear aside and took himself in hand. Lining himself up, he pushed all the way in, bottoming out deep inside her. They both gasped before Abby gripped the back of his head and pulled his mouth back to hers. Marcus started to thrust in and out as he fucked Abby Griffin on the back of her parents’ tailgate. 

“Yes,” Abby said breathlessly as one hand traveled down to his back, her nails digging into his flesh. 

“I’m so close, Abby.”

“Mmm, me too.”

He drove in harder, feeling her clench around him. “Yes, Marcus!”

The sound of Abby screaming his name into the night air was all it took for Marcus to explode inside her. 

They stayed there, panting, while they both recovered. Marcus rested his forehead against Abby’s, savoring the feel of still being buried inside her. “That was…” he breathed. 

“Fantastic,” Abby finished. 


	8. 8

“Ouch!” Abby yelped when the full weight of Marcus plowed into her back. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered in the darkness. “Why the hell are sneaking around the back of the house? In the dark?”

After disentangling themselves from one another at Paxton Beach, Abby and Marcus made their way back to the McCall house. Well after 2 in the morning by the time they returned, Abby’s parents had long gone to bed and the house was pitch black. The last thing she wanted to do was wake them up in the middle of the night like some teenager out past curfew. 

Although he couldn’t actually see her face, Marcus could feel Abby glaring at him. “Because I don’t want to wake my parents at this hour.”

Marcus let out an exasperated sigh as he pulled his cell phone from the back pocket of his jeans. “Here,” he said, turning on the flashlight. “Hopefully now we won’t break an ankle.”

With the help of the flashlight, Abby led them around to the back of the house, unlocking a door to the walk-out finished basement. Once they were safely inside, she locked the door behind them and turned on the recessed lights. “We can stay down here tonight.”

Marcus looked around the space which, like the rest of the house, was recently renovated and spacious. The main area, where they stood, was clearly set up as a family/game room, complete with a large sectional sofa, flatscreen television, gas fireplace, wetbar, and even a pool table. There were two smaller rooms to the right and the open doors allowed Marcus to see that one was a laundry room and the other looked to be a guest room. 

Walking over to the sectional, Marcus fell back against the plush cushions, suddenly feeling exhausted from the late hour and his vigorous workout at Paxton Beach. 

“Here,” Abby said, offering him a bottle of water. 

“Thanks.” Marcus watched as she plopped down next to him and kicked off her heels, sitting as comfortably and modestly as she could in her mini dress. He still couldn’t believe that he actually had sex with Abby. Great sex with Abby. It had been unexpected but, in a way, a part of him felt like it was a long time coming. God knows he had been attracted to her since the moment he first laid eyes on her over 3 years ago. “Soooooo,” he finally said after a somewhat awkward silence stretched on.

Abby looked over at the man beside her, noticing the twinkle in his eyes and the amused little smirk on his lips. “Don’t make it awkward,” she said, rolling her eyes. 

“What’s awkward?” he shrugged. “We’re both adults.”

“Exactly.” 

“And we’re engaged. Engaged couples have sex.” 

“They do,” she nodded. 

“Besides, it was bound to happen,” he smiled, looking a little too smug for Abby’s liking. Kane was clearly making an appearance. 

Sitting up so she was perched on the edge of the sectional, Abby crossed her arms tightly over her chest and leveled her eyes at Marcus. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” 

“Hey, don’t get mad at me,” he said, holding his hands up in surrender. “Not many women can resist this and, just think, you held out for years. Bravo.” 

Abby felt her blood boil. What a jackass! What an arrogant, pompous, jackass! “You’re such an asshole!” In a huff, she rose from her seat and started to pace in an attempt to keep her rage under control. “And to think I was actually starting to tolerate you!”

“Relax.” Marcus stood up and closed the distance between himself and Abby, who looked like she wanted to slap him across the face. “I wanted you too.” 

“Well, it won’t be happening again,” she said, firmly, narrowing her eyes. “Clearly, it’s a line we shouldn’t have crossed. We’ll just have to chalk it up to the alcohol.” What the hell was she saying? No matter how infuriating Marcus Kane was, the sex had been amazing. She was throbbing just thinking about it; thinking about him inside her. 

Marcus must have noticed the uncertainty on her face because he took a tentative step forward. “Come on, Abby. We both know that’s not really what you want.” 

“You have no idea what I want.” He was so close, Abby had to look up at him. She could feel the heat radiating off his body and smell the intoxicating scent of his cologne. Stay strong, she told herself. Stay strong. 

They locked eyes and Marcus dipped his head. Abby’s eyes fluttered closed, convinced he was going to kiss her but, instead, his lips brushed against her ear. “Let’s find out then, shall we?” 

Abby’s eyes snapped open to see his retreating form heading towards the guest room. “Where are you going?”

Marcus stopped in front of the open door before turning back to face her. “I’m going to bed, naked, since all of my belongings are upstairs. Feel free to join me,” he winked and then disappeared inside, closing the door behind him. 

Abby stood, speechless, as she stared at the closed door. He had put the ball entirely in her court. Whatever happened next was up to her. Letting out a frustrated sigh, she sat back down on the sectional and dropped her head into her hands. Damn him, she thought to herself. 

It was clear that she had two options. One, she could prove him wrong by refusing to play his little game. Of course, that would mean sleeping alone on the sectional while Marcus Kane’s warm body, his very naked body, was only feet away. Or two, she could slip off her dress and slide into bed beside him. She could already see the smug look on his handsome face. 

If only it were that simple. They had already put themselves in an impossible situation with their fake engagement. Regardless of what happened between them from this point on, they would be married for a period of time, their lives entwined. Wouldn’t it be wise to stop this now before things got even more complicated between them? Would they be able to keep up their charade if things didn’t work out between them? Or should they simply enjoy what the other had to offer, consequences be damned? 

**********

Marcus stared at the ceiling, both hands behind his head, as he waited to see if Abby was going to join him. At first, he was confident that she would take him up on his offer. After their visit to Paxton Beach, he thought it was clear that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. But now, with each passing minute, he wondered if he had been wrong. Maybe she wasn’t interested? Or maybe she thought they made a mistake and now wanted to keep things platonic? Lord knows, things would be a whole lot simpler. 

Marcus was considering swallowing his pride and joining Abby on the sectional when he heard a soft knock on the bedroom door. He sat up, his heart suddenly beating nervously in his chest. “Yes?” 

Slowly, Abby pushed open the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. A floor lamp was dimly lit in the far corner of the room, providing just enough light for her to see the smirk on Marcus’ face as he sat in the bed with his arms resting on his knees. He had pushed the comforter down and the only thing covering his naked body was a baby blue sheet.

Abby leaned back against the closed door and neither said a word as their eyes met, both mirroring the same mixture of nervousness and excitement. Marcus pulled back the sheet on the empty side of the bed, a clear invitation for her to join him. 

Biting her lower lip, Abby pushed herself off the door and crossed to the queen bed, pulling her mini dress over head along the way. She didn’t miss the way Marcus’ Adam’s apple bobbed, swallowing hard as she stood in front of him in nothing more than her strapless black lace bra and matching panties. Abby hesitated for a moment, suddenly all too aware that, despite have sex only hours ago, they had never actually seen each other naked.

Sensing her uncertainty, Marcus pulled the sheet off his lower body, leaving him completely exposed atop the bed. He slowly rose to his knees and made his way over to Abby, coming to a stop just an arm’s length away. 

They held one another’s gaze until Abby lowered her eyes, taking her first real look at everything Marcus had to offer. Even half hard, it was impressive and she felt herself begin to throb once again. When Abby looked up, the lopsided smirk on his face told her that he knew exactly what she was thinking and he liked it. Bastard. 

Following Marcus’ lead, Abby reached behind, unhooking her bra and peeling it off her chest. Casting it aside, she hooked her thumbs into her panties and pushed them down her toned legs. 

Marcus’ mouth gaped open at the sight of her naked before him, his desire for growing by the second. “You’re beautiful,” he whispered, reaching out to cup her cheek, capturing her lips. 

Abby moaned into his mouth as she crawled onto the bed, pushing Marcus backwards. A small yelp escaped him as he flopped onto the mattress. Propping himself up on his elbows, Marcus watched as Abby moved to straddle him. She leaned down and kissed him again before sitting up, taking him in hand, and sinking down onto him. “Oh God,” she cried, feeling him bottom out inside her. 

Desperate to touch her, Marcus sat up and found her lips again as Abby wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even deeper. 

“God, you feel so good,” Marcus said breathlessly as they continued to roll their hips into one another. 

It didn’t take long before they both fell over the edge, crying out in unison as Marcus burst inside her. 

They stayed like that for several minutes, wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing softly. When they finally parted, Abby eased herself off of Marcus’ lap and laid down facing him. Marcus pulled the sheet back up, covering their naked bodies. “No regrets?” he asked. 

“No,” Abby answered honestly. “You?”

“No, but it definitely muddies the water a bit, doesn’t it?” 

“As if that were possible,” Abby chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Look, we have an arrangement and soon we are going to be married, at least for a while. There’s no reason our time together shouldn’t be enjoyable, right?”

“I agree,” Marcus nodded. “So, this is what then?” he asked, motioning between them. 

“Whatever we want it to be,” Abby shrugged. “But right now, I think we’re two people enjoying incredible sex. Let’s leave it at that for the time being.” 

“I can live with that,” he said, offering a small smile before turning onto his back. “Goodnight Abby.”

“Night Marcus.” 


	9. 9

The first conscious thought Marcus had when he awoke the next morning was how good it felt to have a warm body curled into his side. A contented smile spread across his face as Abby snored softly and the scent of her coconut shampoo filled his nostrils. Marcus knew he should get up. He needed to go for a run, something he hadn’t done since they arrived, and he needed to try and get some work done today. But instead of sliding out of the bed, he laid there with Abby’s head resting on his shoulder as he recalled the last 72 hours. 

When he went to work on Friday morning, he expected his day to be like any other; twelve plus hours at the office before returning home to his empty penthouse and spending the evening with takeout and a couple beers. Never in his wildest dreams, did he think he would end up engaged, least of all to Abby. 

Now, here they were, both completely naked and snuggled together like it was the most normal thing in the world. Marcus had been alone for so long that it was hard not to let himself pretend, if only for a moment, that they were actually a couple. It was so easy to get caught up in their charade; the happily engaged couple that were planning their lives together. 

Marcus knew it was crazy, but he couldn’t stop himself from closing his eyes and imagining what it would be like to wake up like this for the rest of his life; with Abby sleeping soundly at his side. It was so easy to picture a life together. Would they stay in the city, focusing on their careers and enjoying everything that New York had to offer? Or would they decide to move out of the city and have a family? 

Before Marcus could let his thoughts wander any further, he felt Abby begin to stir, letting out a small groan as she slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly nervous that she would be horrified to wake up with him, Marcus stiffened and held his breath, praying she didn’t run for the door. 

“How long have you been awake?” she asked as she rolled away from him, stretching out like a cat. 

“Only a few minutes,” Marcus lied as he watched her. She seemed completely at ease with the fact that they were in bed together. Naked. God, Abby was beautiful in the morning, he thought to himself. 

“Abby? Marcus?”

Quickly sitting up in the bed, Abby and Marcus stared at one another, both silently praying that Sharon didn’t open the door. It would be mortifying for Abby’s mother to find them naked, even if they were supposedly engaged. “We’re just getting up, Mom,” Abby finally answered. “We’ll be upstairs in a few minutes.” 

“No rush. I just wanted to let you know that your father and I are on our way out. We’ll be home later this afternoon.”

Abby visibly released a sigh of relief. “Ok Mom.”

Once they heard Sharon ascend the stairs and close the door leading up to the first floor, Abby fell back onto the mattress as Marcus eased himself off the bed. “Somewhere to be?” she asked, appreciating the view as a bare assed Marcus Kane crossed the room to retrieve his underwear and jeans from the floor. 

Marcus pulled up his royal blue boxer briefs and then stepped into his jeans, not bothering to fasten them. “I haven’t worked out since we arrived,” he said, grabbing his shirt and shoes. “I need to go for a run.” 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Abby shrugged. “I thought we had a pretty vigorous workout last night.” 

The look of pure mischief on her face made Marcus laugh. “We did.” Making his way to the door, he placed his hand on the knob and then turned back to Abby, a playful smirk on his lips. “Maybe we can workout again later?”

“Are you sure you have the stamina, Kane?”

Marcus swallowed hard, feeling himself growing harder by the second. As if the sight of Abby laying naked on top of the bed wasn’t enough to send him over the edge, hearing her talk like that was killing him. “I have plenty of stamina, I assure you.” 

Without a word, Abby slid from the bed, padding over to her discarded dress. Not bothering to put it back on, she sauntered over to the door. “We’ll see,” she said, patting Marcus on the cheek as she pushed past him and headed for the stairs. 

Marcus stared after her naked form, tempted to forget his run. “Jesus,” he whispered to himself, letting his head fall back against the wall. 

**********

“So, where is your handsome fiance?” Diana asked as she, Abby, and Callie sat on the front porch, sipping their coffee. 

Not long after Marcus left for his run, Diana and Callie had arrived with coffees and fresh scones. They apologized for showing up unannounced, but when they hadn’t heard from Abby about getting together for a girls night, the duo had taken it upon themselves to surprise her. 

“He went for a run right before you arrived,” Abby said, taking a bite of the blueberry scone. 

“How far does he usually run?” Callie asked. “I usually do about 3 miles in the morning.” 

Abby froze, realizing she had no idea how far Marcus ran. Hell, until this morning, she didn’t even know he liked to run. Shit. “It varies,” she finally said. “Just depends on his mood.” It was non-committal and the only way she could possibly answer the question without it coming back to bite her in the ass later. 

“I still can’t believe you’re engaged to this guy, Abs. The last time we spoke, you were telling us how much you hated him.” 

“We may have had a love/hate relationship for a while…”

“You told us you wanted him to get hit by a bus!” Callie interrupted. 

Abby groaned. It was true; she couldn’t deny it. “I know,” she admitted. “But that’s obviously in the past now. Somewhere along the way, we fell in love.”

Both women smiled at their friend, thrilled that she had finally found someone after so long. “As long as you’re happy?” Callie asked. 

“I am. I’m very happy.” 

“Here comes Prince Charming now.” Diana nodded her head and all three pairs of eyes turned to see Marcus running up the road towards the house. Until their trip to Alaska, Abby had never seen him in anything but a suit and tie. Now, here he was in a pair of Nikes, athletic shorts and a tank top, his exposed muscles glistening with sweat. She couldn’t stop herself from licking her lips as he came to a stop at the end of the driveway and ran a hand through his disheveled hair. Discreetly, Abby crossed her legs, squeezing her thighs together as her body reacted to the sight of him. 

When Marcus headed for the porch, the women diverted their eyes and turned their attention back to their coffee and scones. “Did you have a good run?” Abby asked when Marcus reached the top step. 

“I did,” he smiled. “Ladies, it’s nice to see you again.” Crossing the porch, Marcus shocked Abby by leaning down and kissing her cheek as Diana and Callie looked on, not even trying to hide their huge grins. 

“You too,” the women replied at the same time. “We were just going to ask Abby if the two of you would like to join us for a night out before you head back to New York?” asked Diana. “My boyfriend and Callie’s husband would come as well.”

“I don’t know…” Abby started. 

“We’d love to,” he said, cutting her off. “I think it sounds like fun, besides, we could use a night out. Don’t you think, Sweetie?”

Abby was surprised that Marcus was so eager to go on a triple date but, then again, he’d done nothing but surprise her since they arrived in Alaska. “Ok, we’re in.” 

“Yay! I’m so excited,” Diana squealed. “We’ll shoot for the end of the week, but I’ll let you know when and where as soon as we talk to our guys.”

“We look forward to it,” Marcus smiled. “Well, if you’ll excuse me, I need to shower.” Reaching over, he snatched the half eaten scone from Abby’s plate and dashed into the house. 

“Thief!” Abby yelled. 

“Bye Marcus.”

“See you soon.” 

Callie turned her attention back to Abby. “I like him,” she smiled. “I can’t wait for us all to get together.” 

“I’m sure we’ll have a great time.” Abby wasn’t exactly sure how a night out would go. Would Marcus have anything in common with the other two couples? Callie and her husband, Sinclair, had been together since they were 16; high school sweethearts. He was the Principal at Sitka High School and they had 3 kids. Diana, on the other hand, had never married and claimed she had no desire to ever settle down, opting instead to focus on her career and travel. In fact, a few days ago, Abby would have thought she would have been a perfect match for Marcus. From what she could remember from their brief conversation at her welcome home party, Diana’s current flavor of the month was some guy named Robert. Or was it Russell? Whatever. Apparently, he was the owner of one of the new charter boat companies in the area. One thing was for sure, it certainly wouldn’t be boring. 

**********

After his shower, Marcus wrapped a towel around his waist and wiped the fog from the large mirror that hung over the bathroom vanity. Placing his hands on the countertop, he looked up at his own reflection. He smiled, gently shaking his head as he thought of his current situation. It was still hard to wrap his mind around how much his life had changed in just a few short days. 

Marcus opened the door and headed back into the bedroom with every intention of dressing and then getting as much work done as he could before Abby’s parents returned home. Instead, he stopped in his tracks when he found a naked Abby laying on her stomach atop the bed, her hands propped under her chin. He recovered quickly. “I assume Diana and Callie left?” he asked, placing his hands on his hips and trying to seem unaffected by her presence. 

“They did.” Abby pushed herself up and hopped off the bed, crossing to Marcus as he stood by the bathroom door. Biting her lower lip, she looked up, gazing nto his eyes as she undid the towel that hung around his hips. It fell to the carpet, leaving him completely bare. 

Marcus reached up, cupping Abby’s cheek and gently drawing her to him. When his mouth covered hers, Abby moaned as she looped her arms around his neck. “We’re making a habit out of this,” he said, pulling back. 

“Are you complaining?” Abby asked with a raised brow. 

“Not at all.” Marcus captured her mouth again as he backed her towards the bed. 

When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, Abby sat down, leaving Marcus to stand before her. She reached out and took him in hand then, dipping her head, she wrapped her lips around his cock, giving one, hard suck. 

“Fuck Abby,” he croaked out, tangling his fingers in her hair. 

Encouraged, Abby started to lick and suck, experimenting as she tried to learn what Marcus liked. She reached around, gripping his toned ass she took him in as deeply as she could. 

The feeling of Abby’s mouth on him was like nothing Marcus had ever felt before. Sure, he’d had his fair share of blow jobs over the years, but this was different. Abby was different. Unable to help himself, he let his hips sway, slowly fucking her mouth. Abby moaned in response, spurring him on. 

When Marcus felt himself getting close to the edge, he pulled back, allowing himself to fall from Abby’s mouth. “Lay back.” 

Abby scooched back to the center of the bed and opened her legs as Marcus eagerly crawled between them, covering her body with his own. Resting his forehead against Abby’s, he closed his eyes as he slwoly pushed inside her, savoring every inch. Abby’s hands gripped his ass as he immediately covered her mouth with his own to stifle her moans of pleasure as he began to thrust in and out. 

“God, Abby,” Marcus breathed as he pumped into her at a blistering pace.

It didn’t take long before she arched off the bed and clenched around him as she toppled over the edge. Marcus followed close behind as he spilled himself deep within her. 

They stayed like that for several minutes, both trying to catch their breath. Finally slipping out, Marcus rolled onto his back as Abby cuddled into him, laying her head on his shoulder. They were both still gasping for air. “If I had known sex with you would be this good…” she trailed off. 

“We would have done it years ago?” Marcus finished. They both laughed as he pulled her closer, kissing her temple. 


	10. 10

“Come on! Keep up, Marcus!” Abby yelled over her shoulder as the couple hiked Herring Cove the following afternoon. The almost 4 mile loop was one of the most popular trails in Alaska, running along Beaver Lake and featuring several waterfalls. 

“How about you slow down instead?” Marcus replied, mildly annoyed. “We have all day.” 

Rolling her eyes, Abby continued on at the same pace, smiling to herself when she heard Marcus grumbling behind her. She was able to hear the words stubborn, crazy, and woman, but wasn’t able to make out the rest. 

Finally emerging from the forest, they followed the trail that led down to the water’s edge where, for the first time, Abby stopped and allowed Marcus to catch up. They both smiled, taking in the picturesque view that included the calm water, lush green vegetation, and rugged mountaintops in the distance. “It’s beautiful,” Marcus said in awe as he and Abby enjoyed the view. 

“It is.” Abby tilted her head back and closed her eyes, soaking up the bright sunshine. “This is what I miss the most when I’m in New York.”

“How did a girl from Sitka end up in New York?” Marcus asked, taking a seat on one of the logs that lined the shoreline. “I don’t know if I would have been able to leave this.” 

Abby sat down beside him and shrugged as she looked out over the water. “My ex-husband had his mind set on New York. So, after graduation, we packed up our car, drove across the country, and hoped for the best.” 

“I bet your folks loved that,” he chuckled. 

“They weren’t thrilled, but I was young and in love.”

“How long have you been divorced?” Marcus was obviously aware of Abby’s divorce before she mentioned it, but he didn’t know the details. 

“Almost 10 years.” 

“I’m sorry,” he said, sincerely. 

“Don’t be. I’m not.” Abby said confidently. Taking a sip of her water, she let out a sigh before continuing. “We grew apart; became different people. It was for the best.”

Marcus nodded in understanding. 

“What about you? Is there an ex-Mrs. Kane out there somewhere?”

“No,” he laughed. “I’ve dated, of course, but never anything that serious.”

“Not marriage material?”

“In case you’ve forgotten, we’re getting married,” Marcus smirked, a gleam in his eye. 

Abby rolled her eyes. “I’m not talking about a fake marriage to avoid deportation, Marcus. I’m talking about a real marriage; falling in love, having a family.” 

He didn’t answer right away, looking out at the water with unfocused eyes. Abby didn’t push him any further and she was beginning to think he was going to ignore her question. Finally, he spoke, “I’ve always been so focused on my career that I never really made it a priority, but I figured it would happen eventually.”

Abby couldn’t help but notice the tinge of disappointment in his voice. “Well, you still have time. I’m sure Ms. Right will show up when you least expect it.” 

Marcus nodded, giving her a sad smile. “Maybe.” 

**********

A few hours later, Marcus and Abby returned from their hike to find an unknown car parked in the driveway. It had Ohio plates so they assumed it was a rental. But whose?

“That’s strange,” Abby said as they headed up the steps and through the front door. “Mom? Dad?”

“In the kitchen,” Sharon’s voice called to them. 

Coming around the corner, both Marcus and Abby stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who their visitor was. “Marcus. Abby. Pleasure to see you again.” 

“What the hell?” Marcus gritted out. 

“You have a lot of nerve showing up at my family’s home, Agent Pike.” Abby crossed her arms tightly in front of her and glared at the man sipping a glass of Iced Tea. 

Pike smiled, setting his glass on the counter. “I apologize for showing up unannounced, but I’m just doing my job. In fact, I was just filling your folks in on your little...situation.” 

“Agent Pike seems to be under the impression that your relationship is fraudulent,” said George. “Says you’ll be facing prison time, Abigail.” 

“Oh Abby, what were you thinking?” added Sharon, shaking her head in disapproval. 

“But,” Pike started, closing the distance between himself and Abby. “Lucky for you, your parents have negotiated a deal on your behalf.” 

Abby furrowed her brow, looking between Pike and her parents. “Deal? What kind of deal?”

“Listen carefully, because this offer is going to last for about 30 seconds. You,” he said, pointing at Abby, “are going to make a statement admitting that this engagement and impending marriage is a shame, or you’re going to go to prison. You tell the truth, you’re off the hook.” Turning his attention to Marcus, who was standing at Abby’s side, “And you are going to go back to Canada.” 

Abby was silent as she considered Pike’s words, envisioning all possible outcomes in her mind. The logical thing to do was for her to accept Pike’s offer. She would be free and clear from any legal ramifications and she could move on with her life. Of course, Marcus would lose his position at Wallace and be deported back to Canada. A few days ago, she wouldn’t have cared what happened to him, but things had changed between them in the short time they’d been in Alaska. Sure, they were sleeping together, but it was more than that. Abby still couldn’t say for sure what  _ it  _ was exactly, but she knew she didn’t want to see Marcus deported and end up hundreds of miles away. 

“Take the deal, Abigail,” Sharon said, sternly, pulling her daughter from her thoughts. 

Marcus stood silently and waited for the inevitable, not even allowing himself to think of the possibility that Abby would keep their charade going. Why would she? He had forced her into this farce, threatening her career. She owed him nothing. 

Abby looked to her left, locking eyes with Marcus. She could see the corners of his mouth turn up, ever so slightly, and he gave her a reassuring nod. It was obvious that he was telling her to take the deal. Turning her attention back to Pike, “You want a statement?”

Pike nodded, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. He was waiting for her confession, knew it was coming. 

**“** Here's your statement. I've been working for Marcus Kane for three years. Six months ago we started dating, we fell in love. He asked me to marry him, and I said yes.”

“You’re making a big mistake,” Pike said, clearly frustrated by Abby’s defiance. 

“Abby, don’t do this!” Sharon exclaimed, coming around the kitchen island to stand in front of her daughter. “Whatever he’s promising you, it’s not worth it. Please.” 

Abby laced her fingers through Marcus’ and pulled him closer. “We love each other, Mom, and we’re getting married.” Turning her attention to Pike, Abby glared at the man in front of her. “We’ll see you in New York next week for our interviews. Safe travels, Agent Pike.” 

Leaving Pike and her parents to stare after them, Abby headed out of the room, pulling a speechless Marcus behind her. 

**********

Abby sat down on the edge of the bed as Marcus closed the door behind them. “You sure about this?” he asked, leaning back against the door. 

Abby sighed, running a hand over her face. “Not really.” 

“I am very appreciative of what you've done, but I think it may be best if you reconsider Pike’s offer.” While Marcus was touched that Abby  _ wanted  _ to help him, he knew this would end badly, especially for her. 

“Look Marcus, we’re doing this. We’re going to get married when we get back to New York and we will live happily ever after until it’s safe to get an amicable divorce. You get to stay in the country and I’ll finally be an Editor.”

Marcus let out a nervous laugh. “You make it sound so simple.” 

Abby shrugged. “It is. As long as we stick to our story and pass our interviews with Pike, we are home free.” 

Marcus pushed off the door and crossed to the bed, taking a seat next to Abby. With his elbows on his knees, he hung his head, wanting to choose his words carefully. “And what about you, Abby? What about your life?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’ll be one to two years before we can divorce. Do you really want to put your life on hold for that long?” 

Abby looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “This was your idea, Marcus!”

“I know,” he said, holding up his hands to try and calm her. “And I’m sorry for putting you in this position in the first place. It was selfish and I think it’s time that I face the music, as they say. My position at Wallace and remaining in the US is not worth what it’s doing to you and to your family.” 

Abby stared at Marcus, moved by the sincerity in his eyes. In all the years she’d known him, she had never seen him show such emotion, such concern. 

When Abby didn’t say anything, Marcus continued, “There are plenty of publishing firms in Canada. I could go anywhere; Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver. It’ll be a fresh start.” 

“No,” Abby said without even giving it a second thought. 

“Abby…”

“No,” she said more forcefully. “We’ve come this far and we are going to see it through. 

Marcus was just about to argue when a knock on the door startled them. “Abigail?” Sharon McCall’s voice called from the hallway. 

“What is it, Mom?”

“You’re father and I would like to see you downstairs. Alone.”

Abby groaned, dropping her face into her hands. “Be right down,” she replied. Rising to her feet, she looked down at Marcus. “I’ll be right back.” 

“Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Abby said, rolling her eyes. 

Once Abby was gone, Marcus fell back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. What the hell was he thinking? This entire mess was his fault and, regardless of what Abby said, he needed to make things right. Admittedly, the only person Marcus was thinking of when he announced his engagement to Abby was himself. He had been a selfish son of a bitch, not giving a damn what his lie would do to Abby. At the time, it was an abstract concept, but now, the effects of his selfishness were all too real. 

How could he possibly ask Abby to put her entire life on hold for two years? Marcus knew she wanted to be an Editor, but at what cost? Was she really willing to sacrifice the chance to meet someone worthy of her? To finally have the family she wanted? 

They had grown closer during their time in Alaska, both on a personal level and a physical one, and Marcus was sure that a fake marriage to Abby would be far from unpleasant. Allowing himself to imagine the future, it was easy to see them cohabitating in his penthouse and working at Wallace; Marcus in his current position and Abby as their newest Editor. At night, they’d return home, making meals together and making love until they fell asleep.  _ Love.  _

Marcus sat up, abruptly, and rose to his feet, running his hands through his hair in frustration. He loved Abby. He’d always loved Abby, despite the way he’d treated her over the last few years. And, because he loved her, he needed to do the right thing. He needed to to set her free, whether she liked it or not. 


	11. 11

“Abigail, what were you thinking? Why would you go along with this?”

Abby felt like a teenager again as she sat at the kitchen table, Sharon and George seated across from her. The matching looks of anger, disappointment, and confusion on their faces reminded her of the time she hosted an underage kegger while her parents were out of town for the weekend. It was still something they brought up from time to time but Abby had no doubt that her engagement to Marcus would now eclipse her disastrous house party. 

“I’ve told you, Pike has it all wrong!” she snapped. “Marcus and I aren’t lying. We really did fall in love and we’re getting married.”

“Abby, you’ve always told me how much you dislike Marcus Kane. He’s cold, arrogant, cruel, you said. Then the two of you show up here, engaged?!”

Abby sighed. “I’ve already explained all of this!”

“Abby, sweetheart,” her father said gently, reaching across the table to take her hand. “We know what you’ve told us, but you have to understand where your mother and I are coming from. We’re worried about you. You’re facing prison time. And for what?”

Groaning, Abby dropped her face in her hands. She’d been explaining and repeating herself for close to an hour and she didn’t think she would be able to take much more. Would it be easier to just come clean with her parents? She knew she could trust them not to say anything because, if they did, it would mean prison time for her. 

“Please,” Sharon pleaded. “Tell us the truth. Help us to understand how you wound up in this mess?”

Abby looked between her parents, completely exhausted. Letting out a heavy sigh, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“We lied,” she said quietly, looking down at her hands as they rested on the tabletop. “Marcus was about to be deported. We lied.” 

Sharon shook head disapprovingly at her only child while George pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why would you do such a thing?” he asked. 

“He threatened you, didn’t he?” Sharon asked. “Just give us the word and your father will push him off the boat in the middle of the Gulf.” 

“Mom! That’s not funny!”

“I’m not trying to be funny,” Sharon said seriously. 

“Look,” Abby started. “Marcus was about to be deported and I agreed to help him out.” It was a simplified version of the truth, but it was all Abby was willing to tell her parents. 

“Let me guess. You agree to marry him and he makes you Editor?” 

Abby simply nodded in affirmation, not exactly proud of the way she was finally going to realize her dream. 

“Oh Abby,” her mother sighed. 

“You have to call Agent Pike,” added George. “He may still offer you the deal if you tell him everything.”

“No! Marcus and I are getting married. He’ll get to keep his job and stay in the country and I’ll finally be an Editor. It’s a win-win for both of us.” 

“You don’t even like the man, Abigail!”

“I didn’t, but we’ve grown closer since all of this happened. I care about him, Mom,” Abby confessed. “And I think he feels the same.” 

“You’re sleeping with him!?” Sharon seemed horrified at the thought. 

George’s eyes went wide, clearly uncomfortable. “Jesus Christ, Sharon!”

“That’s none of your business,” Abby said through gritted teeth. “I’m 37 years old and I am an adult. I love you both, but you have no say in any of this. It’s my life and Marcus and I are getting married.” Without another word, Abby rose from her seat and headed out onto the deck. With her hands on the wooden railing, she hung her head, trying to calm herself. 

Looking out over the scenic view from the top of Eliason Loop, Abby would be lying if she said she hadn’t briefly considered Pike’s offer. Of course she had! A few days ago, she would have jumped at it, but things had changed between her and Marcus during their time in Alaska. She had come to care for him and there was no denying their connection in the bedroom. The sex was amazing and Abby was in no hurry for that aspect of their relationship to end. 

Confident in her decision headed back inside to speak with Marcus. Perhaps it was best, given the circumstances, if they returned to New York a few days early.

**********

Entering the room she shared with Marcus, Abby was surprised not to find him waiting for her. Surely, he would want to hear about her conversation with her parents. “Marcus?”

After checking the ensuite bathroom, Abby came back into the bedroom and placed her hands on her hips. It was then that she noticed a copy of her manuscript atop the bed, a note clipped to the front.

With a sense of unease, Abby reached for the manuscript, immediately recognizing Marcus Kane’s unmistakeable hand. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she read Marcus’ words: 

**_Abby,_ **

**_You were right. This book is Special. I lied because I knew publishing it meant I'd lose you as an assistant. You have an extraordinary talent and I'll make sure we buy this before I leave._ **

**_I’m sorry I didn’t say goodbye, but I wanted to catch up to Pike before he left for New York. I never should have put you in this position and, for that, I am sorry. I’m going to fix it. I promise. Have an amazing life. You deserve it._ **

**_Marcus_ **

With tears in her eyes, Abby stared at the note in her hands. He left. He snuck out of the house without even saying goodbye and he left. A whirlwind of emotions swept over Abby as she sat on the bed, completely in shock by this unexpected turn of events. What the hell was he thinking!?

Getting to her feet, Abby hurried out the door and down the stairs. Her parents looked started as she burst into the living room and grabbed the car keys off the counter.

“Abby? What’s wrong?” 

“Marcus is gone,” she answered, heading out the front door. “I need to stop him!” 

**********

“So now what?” Marcus asked as he and Agent Pike sat side by side on a chartered flight from Sitka to Juneau. 

“Well...now that you're leaving voluntarily, it all becomes very civilized. Once we land in New York, you have 24 hours to head back to Canada.”

“And you’ll leave Abby alone?”

“Yes. Given that you confessed to blackmailing her into the relationship, there’s no reason to pursue legal action against her. As far as I’m concerned, she’s a victim in all of this.” 

Marcus nodded in agreement. He knew Abby would be angry with him for leaving and confessing everything to Pike, but now she was free. Free to live her life. Free to find love again. Her manuscript would be published and Marcus would speak to Dante Wallace personally about promoting her to Editor. She deserved it; always had. This was the way it had to be. This was the right thing to do. Of course, that is what Marcus’ brain was telling him. His heart was an entirely different matter. 

Looking out the window as the aircraft lifted off the runway, Marcus swallowed the lump in his throat, unsure of what his future held for the first time in over 20 years. Not only was he about to lose the life he had built for himself, including his home and his career, but he would lose Abby as well. She wasn’t his, of course, but they had grown closer during their short time together and it was easy to envision what could have been. 

As the plane ascended, Abby watched helplessly from the airport window, moments too late to stop Marcus from sealing both of their fates. 


	12. 12

With a heavy sigh, Marcus fell back on his sectional, exhausted from several hours of packing. Twisting the top off a bottle of Blue Light, he took a healthy sip and allowed himself to relax for the first time since returning home. Moving under normal circumstances was stressful, but moving in just 24 hours was a nightmare. Marcus had either been packing up his penthouse or on the phone with realtors and moving companies in both the US and Canada since his flight landed. 

Due to the time crunch, Marcus decided to keep things simple and return to Toronto, at least initially. It was his home and an area he was familiar with. Thankfully, since he invested wisely over the years, he was not pressed to find employment immediately. He could afford to be picky and find the right publishing company. Would he decide to stay in Toronto, returning home permanently? Or would he completely wipe the slate clean and start over in a new city? Only time would tell. 

Surprisingly, Agent Pike agreed to allow Marcus to leave the following morning, slightly past his initial 24 hour deadline. Since he was relocating permanently, flying from New York to Toronto was out the question. Instead, Marcus would load everything he could fit into his Jeep Wrangler and make the almost eight hour drive across the state and over the border. Oddly enough, it was a drive Marcus was actually looking forward to. Eight hours to himself. Eight hours to listen to his favorite Spotify playlists a little louder than necessary. Eight hours to think. 

Rising from his seat, he took his empty beer bottle into the kitchen and pulled out another. Just as he was raising the bottle to his lips, a knock on his front door startled him. “What the hell?” he said aloud. 

Marcus looked through the peephole and froze when he saw the person standing outside his door. “Marcus, I know you’re in there! Open the damn door!” Abby yelled, pounding again. 

After taking a deep breath, he slowly reached for the handle and opened the door. Abby glared at him with her arms crossed tightly in front of her. If Marcus had any doubt how Abby felt about his sudden departure and confession, one look at her now told him everything he needed to know. She was pissed. 

Pushing passed him without a word, Abby stepped into the large open living space. When Marcus closed the door and turned around, he was met with her icy glare as she stood with her hands on her hips. “Abby, I…”

“How could you!?” she cut him off. 

“I know you’re upset.”

“Upset!?” Abby asked, incredulously. “You left! You snuck out of the house without a word.”

“I left you a note,” Marcus said quietly as he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and looked down at the floor. 

“Oh, thank you.” The sarcasm dripped from her tongue. “We had a deal! All you had to do was stick to the plan and everything would have worked out.” Abby stopped when she noticed Marcus shaking his head. “What?”

“I know it would have worked. We would have gotten married and lived a lie for a few years. But at what cost, Abby?”

“What the hell are you talking about!? This entire thing was your idea!”

“I know and I was wrong,” he admitted. “What I did was selfish. I never considered how this would affect you or your family.”

“Give me a break, Marcus. I agreed to this, remember?”

“Yes, after I threatened your career,” he reminded her. “Look, I care about you, Abby.” 

“Don’t you dare,” she said through gritted teeth. 

“And it’s because I care that I couldn’t go through with this. I couldn’t force you to put your life on hold for two years.”

Abby closed the distance between them, jamming a finger right into the center of Marcus’ chest. “You should have talked to me. We should have discussed it. You had no right to make a decision like that on your own, not when it affects my life just as much as yours.” 

“You’re right,” he agreed. “And for that I’m sorry, but what’s done is done. It’s over.” 

For the first time since she walked through his front door, Abby took in her surroundings and noticed the large number of cardboard boxes throughout the space. This was happening. Marcus was leaving. “When?” she asked. 

“I’m driving to the border first thing in the morning,” he sighed, stepping away from her and heading back into the kitchen. He reached into the fridge and grabbed another beer, handing it to Abby when she reached the island. “I’m taking whatever I can fit in my Jeep. The rest will be shipped to me in Toronto.” 

“You’re going back to Toronto?” Abby asked, sipping her drink. 

“For now,” Marcus shrugged. 

“I never thought I would see the day when Marcus Kane gave up.” Abby shook her head in disappointment. 

“I’m not giving up,” he insisted. “I simply wasn’t willing to destroy your life.” They stared at one another intently, both pairs of eyes filled with emotion and so many things unsaid. Marcus looked away, picking at the label on his bottle of beer. “I met with Wallace earlier today. As promised, he’s promoting you to Editor and your manuscript was submitted.” 

Abby smiled sadly, shaking her head. Did he really think all she cared about was the title and the manuscript, she thought to herself. Men! “After everything that happened this week, do you really think that’s what I care about?”

Marcus opened his mouth to reply, but quickly closed it again. What could he say? He was leaving the country tomorrow and it would be a year before he would be able to return, if not longer. If things were different, he would tell Abby that he had fallen in love with her. If things were different, he would carry her to his bed and spend the rest of the night making love to her. But, sadly, that was no longer their reality. The reality was he was being deported and whatever started between them during their time in Alaska would end before it ever truly began. 

Marcus pursed his lips before letting out a shaky breath. “I care about you too, Abby,” he admitted, sincerely. “I do, and I wish things could be different, but…”

“You’re leaving,” she finished sadly. 

“Yes,” he nodded. 

Abby’s eyes glistened as she nibbled on her bottom lip. She didn’t want him to go. Not now. Not after everything that had happened over the last several days. A part of her wanted to beg him to change his mind; to call Pike and tell him that they were, in fact, getting married after all. Another part wanted to pack her bags and join him in Toronto. But, in the end, she knew that neither was a realistic option. “I should go,” she finally said, setting her bottle down on the countertop and turning toward the door. “You have a long drive ahead of you tomorrow and I’m sure you still have more packing to do.” Marcus hurried after her, catching up as Abby reached for the handle and opened the door. Turning back, she asked, “Can you at least text me when you get there? Just so I know you made it safely?”

Marcus smiled, nodding. “Of course.” Closing the distance between them, Marcus kissed Abby’s cheek, allowing his lips to linger. “Goodbye Abby. I wish you nothing but happiness.” 

“Bye Marcus. Be safe.” With tears threatening to fall, Abby turned on her heel and headed for the elevator, wondering if she would ever see Marcus Kane again. 


	13. 13

**_6 weeks later…_ **

Abby groaned and burrowed further under the covers at the sound of her mother knocking on her bedroom door. 

“Abby?” Sharon called softly as she cracked open the door and peeked inside. As expected, she once again found her daughter still in bed at half past ten. Crossing the room, the older woman sat down on the edge of the mattress and pulled back the comforter enough to allow her to see Abby’s face. “Not feeling well again?”

“I’m fine, Mom.” Abby rolled onto her back and ran her hands over her face. “I’m sure it’s just something I ate; probably that new Mexican place Callie and Diana dragged me to over the weekend.” 

Sharon studied her daughter closely. This was the fourth day in a row that Abby felt unwell, complaining of nausea mostly, but vomiting on at least 2 occasions. “Abigail, do you think there’s a chance you could be pregnant?”

“What?!” Abby’s eyes went wide and she sat up too fast, immediately feeling another wave of nausea. “I have an implant.” 

“I know,” Sharon nodded. “But nothing is 100% and, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been experiencing morning sickness for the last few days.” 

Abby stared at her mother, doing the math in her head. Now that she thought about it, she was late. With everything going on, and all the life changes she had made over the last month and a half, she hadn’t even noticed. “I’m sure it’s just stress, Mom,” Abby said, rather unconvincingly. 

To say things had been stressful since her failed fake engagement to Marcus Kane would be an understatement. The day after Marcus returned to Canada, Abby made the decision to decline her promotion to Editor at Wallace Publishing. While it was her dream job, she couldn’t accept it knowing that she hadn’t earned the promotion on her own merit. Did she deserve it? Yes, she thought so, but she was only promoted because of her arrangement with Marcus. To her, the position was tainted and she would never be able to accept it with a clear conscience. 

As if that wasn’t enough, after turning in her letter and clearing out her desk, Abby decided that the time had come to say goodbye to New York. It had been her home for the last 15 years and it would always hold a special place in heart, but the time had come to move on.

Newly unemployed with no real plan for the future, Abby felt the best thing to do was to return home to Sitka, at least temporarily. Sharon and George were ecstatic to finally have their only child home and it would give Abby the time she needed to decide her next move. 

Now, 5 weeks after returning to Sitka, Abby sat in bed wondering if her mother was right. Could she be pregnant? Pregnant with Marcus Kane’s baby? 

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe it is just stress,” Sharon said, pulling Abby from her thoughts. “But I think you should take a test, just in case. I have to run to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription. I’ll get one for you.” Abby only nodded as she watched her mother rise from the bed and walk out of the room, closing the door behind her. 

Mustering the strength, Abby slid out from under the covers and padded into the ensuite bathroom. She turned on the faucet and splashed her face with water, hoping it would wake her up a bit. With her hands braced on the countertop, Abby stared at her reflection in the oval mirror that hung on the wall. She looked like shit. “It’s just stress or a stomach bug,” she told herself. “It has to be.” 

**********

While Abby was nervously awaiting her mother’s return from the pharmacy, Marcus was over 2500 miles away, moving into his new townhome in the Harbourfront neighborhood of Toronto. Initially unsure where he wanted to settle when he returned to Canada, Marcus had interviewed at a number of publishing companies from coast to coast. He was offered three positions and ended up torn between one in Ottawa and one right in Toronto. In the end, he decided to stay home, accepting the job as Editor in Chief at Arkadia Publishing. It wasn’t as prestigious as Wallace, but it felt right. Now, two weeks after starting at Arkadia, he knew he had made the right decision. He was enjoying his work more than he had in years and he’d even made a few friends, something he never allowed himself to do during his time in New York. So, if things were going well, why did Marcus feel an unshakeable sadness? One word... _ Abby _ .

Marcus missed her. He missed her more than he ever thought he would, proving just how far Abby had wormed her way into his heart during their short time together in Alaska. He tried very hard not to think of all the what-ifs, but she was always in the back of his mind and it took a tremendous amount of willpower not to contact her. Other than texting to say he had arrived safely in Toronto, they hadn’t spoken in 6 weeks. Although it was heartbreaking, Marcus wanted Abby to forget him. He wanted her to move on with her life, to meet someone worthy of her and have the life she deserved; even if that life didn’t include him. 

**********

“Did you set the timer on your phone?” Sharon asked. Once again, she and Abby found themselves in Abby’s bedroom, both perched on the side of the bed as they waited for her pregnancy test. 

“3 minutes,” Abby nodded, holding up her phone. 

Sharon reached out, taking her daughter’s hand in her own, and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Both women sat in silence while they waited for the timer to go off, feeling more like 30 minutes, instead of only 3. It wasn’t lost of either of them that, depending on the results, their lives might never be the same.

When the alarm finally sounded, Abby didn’t move, remaining rooted in place. “Abby?” Sharon said, gently. 

Abby pinched her eyes shut. “I’m not ready. I just need a few minutes.” 

Sharon understood. If Abby was pregnant, her life would change drastically, even more than it already had and she would have to make a number of tough decisions. “Do you love him?” she asked, breaking the silence. 

Abby’s eyes snapped to her mother, completely caught off guard by the question. She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly closed it. “It doesn’t matter now,” she finally said.

“It matters, sweetheart.” Sharon gently rubbed her daughter’s back, trying to bring her some measure of comfort. “Marcus is in Canada, not on Mars.” Abby nodded, letting out a shaky breath as she tried to muster up the courage to actually look at the results of her at home pregnancy test. Rising to her feet, Sharon held out a hand, “Come on. You can’t make any decisions about your future until you know.”

Mother and daughter walked into the bathroom, hand in hand. As Abby crossed to the vanity, Sharon stood in the doorway. Before looking down, Abby stared at her reflection in the mirror. In a matter of seconds, her life could potentially change forever. A small part of her hoped for a negative result. She wasn’t married, or even in a relationship, and she was currently unemployed. What would she do with a baby right now? However, those fears and uncertainties were quickly squashed by the undeniable hope that she would see a + sign. Was it the perfect time? No, but Abby had always dreamed of becoming a mother and, at 37, her window of opportunity was getting smaller and smaller. 

Abby closed her eyes and took a deep calming breath before looking at the thin white plastic stick that laid on the countertop. _ Pregnant. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing you can ALWAYS count on when reading my Kabby fanfics? There will be a baby! Lol ;-)


	14. 14

_ Pregnant.  _

A week after learning she was pregnant with Marcus Kane’s child, Abby still found it hard to believe that she was about to become a mother. She was excited, of course, but she expected to wake up at any moment and find out that it was only a dream. 

“Have you called Marcus yet?” George asked, looking at Abby over the rim of his coffee cup as they sat at the dining room table. 

Abby pushed her scrambled eggs around her plate with her fork, “Not yet.” She’d picked up her phone countless times since confirming her pregnancy, but each time she failed to actually make the call or send the text. 

Sharon set a glass of orange juice in front of her daughter before taking a seat next to her. “What are you waiting for?”

The three of them had this same conversation several times over the past week. While both Sharon and George were thrilled at the prospect of finally becoming grandparents, they were frustrated with the fact that Abby didn’t seem to be in a rush to contact Marcus and inform him of his impending fatherhood. “I’ve already told you, I don’t even know if Marcus wants to be a father.” 

“And that’s his choice, but you won’t know what he wants until you tell him.”

“Your father is right, Abigail. Besides, he has the right to know that he is about to be a father, regardless if the two of you are together or not.” 

Abby sighed, dropping her face into her hands. “I haven’t spoken to him since he moved. What am I supposed to do? Call him out of the blue and tell him over the phone?”

“Yes!” George and Sharon said in unison. 

“Or,” Sharon added. “You could hop on a plane and tell him in person.” 

Abby actually laughed aloud. “You want me to fly to Toronto and surprise Marcus? I don’t even know if he’s still in Toronto.” 

“It’s 2021 Abby. It’s called the internet,” said her mother. “Figure it out.” 

**********

Marcus took off his reading glasses and dropped them on the desk, rubbing his eyes. It had been a long day full of meetings, conference calls, and never ending paperwork and he was exhausted. Needing to give his tired eyes a break, Marcus swiveled in his chair and gazed out the window of his corner office overlooking downtown Toronto. As he watched the people and cars passing below, his thoughts drifted to Abby and he wondered what she was doing. It was easy to envision her seated at her desk in her new office at Wallace, her brow furrowed in concentration as she chewed on the end of her pen. The corners of his mouth curved up at the thought. 

Unlocking his phone, Marcus pulled up the Facebook app he downloaded the night before. He had never used Facebook before, mainly because he had no desire to look at pictures of other people’s children, pets, or Disney vacations, but now he saw it as an easy way to connect with Abby. Following the prompts he created a basic profile, minus a profile picture, and searched for Abigail Griffin. It was private, of course, only allowing him to see her name and photo. To his surprise, it was a picture he had taken of her the day they hiked Herring Cove. Abby was seated on one of the large rocks, the mountains in the background, as she smiled at the camera. She looked beautiful. Marcus smiled down at the image as he clicked “Send Friend Request.” 

A knock on his office door pulled him from his thoughts. “Kane?” He turned back to his desk to see one of his new colleagues, Bellamy Blake, standing in the open doorway. 

“Bellamy, please come in,” Marcus smiled. “What can I do for you?”

Bellamy, one of the Editors under Marcus, was in his early 30s and also hailed from Brantford. As a result, the younger man seemed hell bent on bonding with his new boss, whether he liked it or not. “What are you doing Friday night?”

“I’m sorry?” Marcus asked, confused. 

“Everyone is going over to Mac’s after work. You should come.”

Marcus chuckled softly. “I don’t think so, Bellamy, but I appreciate the invitation.” 

“Come on, Kane. It’ll give you a chance to get to know everyone. Besides, I may want to introduce you to someone,” the younger man smirked. “She’s an Editor at Polis, but she’s smokin’ hot.” 

Marcus groaned internally. While he liked Bellamy, he wasn’t the type to go out and drink with his co-workers and he definitely had no desire to be set up. “Not interested.” 

Bellamy studied the new Editor in Chief. “Are you gay? If you are, that’s cool too. I know a great guy…”

“I’m not gay, Bellamy!” Marcus cut him off. Taking a deep breath, he continued, “I’m just getting out of a relationship. I have no interest in being introduced to anyone right now.” 

“Ok, no set up,” Bellamy agreed, holding up his hands in defeat. “But you really should stop out for a drink. Just promise me you’ll think about it?”

“Fine,” he rolled his eyes. “I’ll think about it.” Marcus smiled to himself as the younger man scurried from the room. Maybe one drink wouldn’t be such a bad idea? It’s not like he had any plans for Friday night. 

**********

Late Friday afternoon, Abby walked into the lobby of Arkadia Publishing in Toronto. She approached the information desk and smiled at the young woman sitting behind the counter. “Hello? I’m here to see Marcus Kane.” 

“Is Mr. Kane expecting you?”

“No, he’s not.”

“One moment please,” the young woman said as she picked up the phone. Abby’s stomach flipped and she wasn’t sure if it was her nerves or the pregnancy. “It’s Maya at the front desk. There is a woman here to see Mr. Kane.” Abby watched as the woman, apparently named Maya, listened to the person on the other end of the line. “I’ll let her know. Thank you.” Abby looked expectantly as Maya hung up the phone. “I’m sorry, but Mr. Kane is gone for the evening.” 

“Gone? It’s only 4 o’clock.” Abby was shocked. In all the years she’d worked for him, Marcus had never left the office before 6. 

“Apparently, everyone from that floor went over to Mac’s Pub around 3.”

Marcus Kane left work at 3 to go to a pub?! Abby pulled out her phone and opened the Maps app, quickly typing in Mac’s. “Is this it?” she asked, showing her screen to Maya. 

“Yes, over on 5th. It’s less than a 10 minute walk from here.”

“Thank you for your help. I appreciate it.” With a polite smile, Abby turned and headed for the door. She quickly regretted not calling Marcus ahead of time to at least warn him that she was coming. 

**********

Marcus didn’t know why he came. He would much rather have been at home, watching a game on television or perusing manuscripts from the comfort of his couch. It’s not that he didn’t like his new colleagues, he did. They were all pleasant enough, but he felt somewhat out of place. He had never been one to frequent bars, even during his college years, and it was even less appealing as a 40 year old man. 

To add to his unease, a small group of women had been ogling him since he arrived. One in particular, an attractive blonde that looked to be around his age, had apparently worked up the courage to take a seat beside him at the bar. “Are you new in town?” the woman asked, smiling at Marcus over the top of her glass. “I don’t remember seeing you in here before?” 

“Just moved back, actually,” he said politely. Marcus didn’t want to encourage her, but he also didn’t want to be an asshole. 

“I’m Heather.”

“Marcus.” 

“Pleasure to meet you, Marcus.” 

Marcus gave her a single nod, hoping it would be the end of the conversation. Unfortunately, the blonde did not take the hint, continuing to make small talk and becoming more and more bold with each sip of her drink. 

While Heather blabbed on and on about her career as an interior decorator and her obsession with running road races, Marcus briefly considered taking her home with him. No, he wasn’t exactly interested in her, but she was a very attractive woman and he was single, after all. There was no reason he couldn’t spend a guilt free night with someone, no strings attached. Right?

Ugh, who was he kidding? There was only one woman he wanted in his bed and she was hundreds of miles away in New York. Although Marcus knew that he and Abby would never be together, everything was still too fresh. He wasn’t over her and there was no telling how long it would take for him to be ready to move on. “I’m sorry, Heather, but I need to get going,” he interrupted her, tossing enough money on the bar to cover both of their drinks and a tip for the bartender. “Enjoy your evening.” 

“What?” she asked, completely caught off guard by his abrupt departure. 

Without a reply, Marcus turned on his heel and started weaving his way through the crowded pub. This had been a mistake and he couldn’t wait to get home. Finally reaching the entrance, he stepped through the door only to collide full bore into a small body, knocking them both off balance. Luckily, Marcus was able to recover quickly enough to catch the woman before she fell.

“Watch it!” the woman growled. 

“Abby?” Marcus’ mouth gaped open as he looked down at the woman in his arms. 

For the first time, Abby looked up at the man that had plowed into her. “Marcus?”

They stared at one another, both completely in shock. “Abby, what are you doing here?” 

Finding her balance, Abby righted herself and crossed her arms in front of her. “What do you think I’m doing here, jackass. I’m looking for you.” 

Despite his utter surprise and confusion, Marcus couldn’t help but smile. God, he’d missed her. “But why?”

The doorway of a pub is not where Abby wanted to have this conversation. “Can we go somewhere and talk?” 

“Of course,” Marcus said, placing a hand on the small of her back and guiding her down the sidewalk. “My place is only a short walk.” 

**********

Less than 15 minutes later, Marcus opened the front door of his townhome, ushering Abby inside. “Wow, this is beautiful,” she said, walking into the large open living space in Toronto’s Harbourfront neighborhood. 

“Thank you,” he smiled, proudly. “It’s a little larger than I need, but I couldn’t pass it up.” 

Clearly new construction, Abby couldn’t help but think that this 3 story home with an unobstructed water view fit Marcus better than his former Central Park West penthouse. While this was still high end, it was Craftsman style with light gray wide plank flooring and light gray walls. The bright white trim popped and Marcus’ navy and white color scheme made it feel very warm and welcoming. 

“Can I get you something to drink? A beer or a glass of wine?” Marcus asked as he moved into the kitchen. 

I wish, Abby thought to herself. “Just water, please,” she answered, following close behind and taking a seat at the island. 

Marcus handed her a bottle of water and took a sip of his beer, eyeing her curiously. He still couldn’t believe that Abby was here, in his home. “It’s not that I’m not happy to see you, but why are you here, Abby? Did something happen? Is Pike pestering you?”

“Why do you assume something is wrong?” 

“So you just decided to travel 500 miles to say hello?”

“2500, actually,” Abby mumbled as she picked at the label on her bottle of water. 

“What?”

Abby sighed. “I said 2500 miles.”

“I’m confused,” he said, brows knitted together. “Didn’t you fly in from New York?”

“No. I left New York a few days after you.” Abby took another sip of her water. “I moved back home, at least until I figure out what comes next.” 

“You left Wallace?” he asked, incredulously. “But what about your promotion? What about your manuscript? Abby, what the hell were you thinking?” Marcus could feel his blood pressure rising. 

“Relax,” Abby said, holding up her hands. “My manuscript is still being published, but I couldn’t accept the promotion. I didn’t earn it.”

“Yes, you did!”

“No, I didn’t, not really,” she said knowingly. “Am I qualified? Yes. Would I have done a good job? You’re damn right. But when, or if, I’m hired as an Editor, I want it to be because I earned it on my own merit. 

Marcus let out an exasperated sigh, shaking his head at the stubborn pain in the ass seated at his kitchen island. “So? Have you decided your next move?”

The corners of Abby’s mouth turned up as she let out a nervous laugh. “I thought I had, but then fate threw me an unexpected curveball.”

“What do you mean?”

Abby nervously bit her lower lip. This was it. This was the reason she was sitting in Marcus’ Toronto kitchen. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. 

Sensing her hesitation, Marcus came around the island, taking a seat on the stool beside Abby. “Abby, whatever it is, you can tell me.”

Nodding, Abby angled her body toward Marcus. She needed to tell him. Regardless of his reaction or what came next, he had a right to know that he was going to be a father. Looking up into his warm, chocolate eyes, Abby took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. “I haven’t been feeling well for a few weeks. I didn’t really think much of it; I just chalked it up to stress or a stomach bug. Then I took a test.” 

Marcus furrowed his brow, looking confused. “A test?”

Abby reached into her purse that sat on the countertop, pulling out a small white envelope. “These are for you,” she said, holding it out to him. 

Marcus took the envelope and opened the flap, pulling a small stack of sonogram photos. Realization dawned and he felt his entire world tilt on its axis. “You’re pregnant,” he said in disbelief. 

Abby nodded. “Just over 8 weeks.” 

Marcus laid all 5 sonogram pictures on the countertop, his eyes studying each one. Suddenly, his heart stopped. No, it couldn’t be. Could it? “Umm, Abby, this looks like…….” he trailed off, not believing what he was seeing. “Is it me, or does that look like two babies?” he asked, holding up one of the photos that clearly showed two tiny heads and bodies. 

“That’s because there are two babies,” she informed him. “Twins.”

Placing the photo on the island, he ran his hands over his face and through his hair. “Holy shit!” He looked at Abby in disbelief, unable to stop the corners of his mouth from turning up slightly. “I can’t believe it,” Marcus said, shaking his head. “Twins. Oh my God.”

“I know,” Abby smiled. “I still can’t believe it myself.” 

Suddenly, Marcus moved into protective mode. “So you’ve seen a doctor then? Is everything ok?” he asked. 

Abby smiled. “Yes, we’re ok. Everything looks good.”

“Good,” he said relieved.

A somewhat awkward silence stretched on, neither quite sure of what to say or do next. Marcus stared down at the sonogram photos, his mind racing as the full weight of Abby’s revelation hit him. He was going to be a father. Twins. At 40, he had started to give up on the prospect of fatherhood, feeling as though the opportunity had passed him by. “What happens now, Abby?”

“I have no idea,” she answered, honestly. “Having a baby under normal circumstances is stressful. Having twins while living in different countries is going to be challenging.”

Marcus nodded, knowing this would not be easy. 

“Do twins run in your family? My parents said they can’t think of any in our family.” 

Marcus smiled. “As a matter of fact, they do. My father was a fraternal twin.” 

“So, it’s your fault,” she teased, raising an eyebrow. 

“Guilty.” They both laughed, enjoying the lighthearted moment in a sea of unknowns. “Are you hungry?” Marcus asked. “I can make us a pizza.”

“Make? You can cook?” Abby was shocked. Granted, she didn’t know much about Marcus Kane’s personal life, but she never envisioned him cooking. 

“It’s a pizza, Abby, not a five course meal,” he chuckled. “But, yes, I can cook. Is that a yes?”

“Of course. I’m starving.”

They shared a smile as Abby joined Marcus at the refrigerator. He started handing her the necessities, including dough, cheese, pepperoni, bell peppers, green olives, and mushrooms. “What?” he asked when he noticed her searching for something else. 

“Do you have banana peppers?”

“Seriously?”

Abby crossed her arms in front of her, glaring. “I like them.” 

“Bottom shelf,” he said, rolling his eyes. 

There was much to discuss and countless decisions to make concerning their children and their future, but all of that could wait. Right now they had to focus on making a pizza without it erupting into a food fight or them killing one another. Fingers crossed. 


	15. 15

“Care to explain this?” Abby asked, holding up her phone that showed the Facebook friend request from Marcus. “I thought social media was beneath Marcus Kane?”

Marcus looked down sheepishly at the slice of pizza on his plate. “Well,” he shrugged. “Maybe I thought it was time to give it a chance.” 

“Or maybe you thought it was a way to keep tabs on me from afar?”

Marcus’ eyes widened. “What? No. I….umm.”

Abby smiled, “It’s ok. I’m just teasing you.”

Marcus huffed out a nervous laugh. “I just thought it was an easy way to keep in touch,” he said, shyly. “If that was something you wanted, of course.” 

Abby sat back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest as she studied the man next to her. “Well,” she shrugged. “Since I’m carrying your children, I guess we should at least be Facebook friends.” She quickly hit “Accept Request.” 

Marcus felt a thrill of excitement shoot through him at the mention of Abby carrying his children. When he was a young man, he dreamed of having a family of his own one day, but it was always something in the distant future. As time passed, he figured it would eventually happen when the time was right. When he was still single in his late 30s, he began to accept that being a husband and father may not be in the cards for him after all. While it was a difficult realization, he pushed on, focusing on his career. And now, Abby, the woman he’d wanted for years, was pregnant with not one, but two babies. It was everything he’d always dreamed of, feeling almost too good to be true. A part of him was terrified that he would wake up at any moment and find out everything was a dream. “What if I want more?” he asked, suddenly very serious.

Abby’s mouth fell open as she stared at the man seated next to her. “What?” she asked, confused. “Marcus…”

“Just hear me out,” he said, reaching out to take her hand in his. “I realize, we have done everything completely out of order, and our situation is complicated, but I love you, Abby. I’ve loved you for longer than I had any right to.”

Abby shook her head. “But you left,” she said, clearly caught off guard by his declaration of love. “If you love me, why did you leave?”

“I left because I love you. I know I don’t deserve you and I didn’t dare hope that you somehow felt the same way about me. I just wanted you to be happy, even if that happiness didn’t include me.” 

Abby was stunned and she could feel the wetness pooling in the corners of her eyes as she listened to Marcus’ words. “You’re an idiot, Marcus Kane,” she said, wiping away a tear as it rolled down her cheek. “I won’t sit here and tell you that I didn’t imagine your death many times over the years, because I did. You were an asshole.”

“I know,” he agreed, hanging his head. 

“But,” Abby continued. “Something happened when we were in Alaska. You let me see you. You let me see Marcus and everything changed.” The adorable puppy dog look on his face as she spoke made Abby want to jump into his arms. “I love you too, jackass.” 

Marcus’ eyes widened, as if he couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of Abby’s mouth. “Are you sure?” he asked in disbelief. 

Abby rose from her chair and rolled her eyes as she climbed onto Marcus’ lap, straddling him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lowered her lips to his, capturing his mouth. The kiss was slow and full of all the passion and love that existed between them. When Abby finally pulled back, she cupped Marcus’ cheek, “Does that answer your question?”

**********

The next thing they knew, Marcus and Abby were stumbling into his master bedroom, haphazardly discarding clothing along the way. They crossed to the bed, devouring each other the entire way. Suddenly, Abby turned them and pushed Marcus onto the mattress. Climbing on top of him, she made quick work of his green boxer briefs. 

“Impatient as ever, I see,” Marcus chuckled as he watched Abby remove her own underwear and toss them onto the floor. 

“It’s been a long eight weeks. I need you inside me. Now." 

That was all the encouragement Marcus needed. When Abby leaned down to kiss him, he flipped them over so he could take control. Moving between her legs, he pushed inside her with one hard thrust. Abby cried out and gripped his ass as he began to thrust in and out. 

“I love you,” Marcus panted as he continued to fill her over and over again. 

“I love you too…..Oh God! I’m so close……” she said into his ear. 

“God, Abby,” Marcus breathed as he pumped into her a few more times before she arched off the bed and clenched around him, toppling over the edge. It didn’t take long for Marcus to follow as he spilled himself deep inside her. 

Slipping out, Marcus rolled onto his back as Abby laid her head on his shoulder. They were both gasping for air. “I missed you,” Abby managed to get out. 

“I missed you too,” he confessed, kissing her temple. “I’ve wanted to do that since you got here."

She cuddled closer. “You’re not the only one.”

**********

The morning sunlight filtered through the bedroom windows as Marcus began to stir, slowly opening his eyes. A smile spread across his lips at the feel of Abby’s petite frame pressed against his front and he tightened his arm around her midsection, pulling her closer. He let out a contented sigh, relieved to see that last night had not been a dream and that Abby was, in fact, in his bed. Marcus splayed his hand across her abdomen as his heart swelled with love for the two tiny creatures inside. He was going to be a father and the thought both excited and terrified him. He wondered if they would be boys, or girls, or possibly even one of each. 

“Morning,” Abby said, sleepily, pulling Marcus from his thoughts. 

“Good morning.” He placed a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder. “How did you sleep?”

“Better than I have in years,” she answered truthfully. 

“That’s good.”

She turned in his arms so they were lying face to face. “Hi,” she said as she caressed his cheek. 

“Hi,” he smiled. “Any regrets?”

“Only that I let you move to another country without me. How about you?”

“Only that I moved to another country without you,” Marcus chuckled, capturing her lips with his own.

**********

After making love again that morning, Marcus went downstairs to start breakfast, leaving Abby to shower and dress in peace. Opting for a pair of cropped jeans and comfortable, loose v-neck tee, Abby climbed on top of the bed and pulled out her phone. 

“Hello?”

“Hi Mom,” Abby said, curling her legs beneath her. 

“Hi sweetheart. How did it go with Marcus? Did you tell him about the babies? How did he react?”

Abby laughed at her mother’s rapid fire of questions. “Whoa! Slow down, Mom. Yes, I told him and, yes, he’s happy.” 

“I’m so glad, although I didn’t doubt that he would be.”

“Me too,” Abby smiled. 

“So? What happens now?”

Of course, Abby knew exactly what her mother meant. What happens between her and Marcus? They’d fallen in love and they were expecting twins, but they lived in two different countries, more than 2500 miles apart. Oh, and Marcus had recently been deported. It was a complicated situation to say the least and something they needed to work out sooner rather than later. “I’m not sure yet. We still need to work out the details,” she sighed. 

“Well,” Sharon started. “The two of you have a lot to discuss, so I suggest you spend less time in the bedroom and more time talking about your future.” 

“Mom!” Abby was mortified, turning a distinct shade of pink at her mother’s words. 

“Good luck,” Sharon laughed. “I love you.” 


	16. 16

**_7 Years Later….._ **

“Mom! I can’t find my jersey!”

“Mom! Where’s Dad?”

Abby grimaced at the sound of her 6 year old twins’ high pitched voices as they yelled from upstairs. She loved her children more than life itself, but after a long day of work, her tolerance could wear thin. She longed to pour herself a glass of wine and relax on the sofa, but Abby knew that wasn’t an option, at least not yet. Instead, she poured herself a cup of dark roast and took a healthy sip, savoring the way the bitter liquid coated her throat.

“Mom!?”

Inevitably, with cup in hand, Abby headed for the staircase that led up to the second floor of the Kane family home in suburban Toronto. “What is all the fuss about?” she asked when she reached the landing. 

“I can’t find my jersey,” Tucker said, looking distraught. The boy was definitely a miniature Marcus, from his thick dark hair and eyes to his little sideways smirk. While he was as active and rambunctious as any 6 year old boy, he was very mature and even serious at times. He liked things in order, neat and tidy, just like his Dad. 

“Honey, relax. It’s probably still in the laundry room. I’ll get it for you,” she assured the boy. “Go finish getting ready.” Abby ushered Tucker back into his bedroom and headed next door, peeking her head inside Gracie’s room. Younger by less than two minutes, their daughter was the exact opposite of her brother. While Tucker was more serious and disciplined, Gracie was the family’s comic relief; loud, messy, and full of surprises. Where Tucker was his father’s mini-me, Gracie was all Abby. 

“Mom, where’s Dad?” the girl asked, pulling her hair back into a messy ponytail. “He always takes us to Hockey.” 

“He’s still at work, baby. He’s going to meet us at the rink. Are you ready to go? We need to leave soon.” 

“Yep,” Gracie answered. 

“Good.” Continuing on down the hall, Abby grabbed Tucker’s jersey from the laundry room and brought it to his room. A large smile spread across her lips when she found him sitting on the floor with his brother, both surrounded by dinosaurs. Dawson, 4, was the baby of the family. Although he was unplanned and had been a complete surprise, neither Abby nor Marcus could imagine life without him. While he looked just like Marcus and Tucker, his personality seemed to be a good mix of both of his parents. “Ok guys, we need to get going. Your dinosaurs will be here when we get home.”

“Aww,” little Dawson groaned. 

Like herding cattle, Abby managed to get all three little Kanes downstairs, into their shoes and coats, and into the SUV without incident. As she backed out of the driveway, she silently prayed that she hadn’t forgotten anything. 

**********

As Abby and the kids were heading for the hockey rink, Marcus was in his office at Arkadia, changing out of his suit and tie and into a pair of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. His last meeting of the day had run horribly long and there was no way he would have time to change at the rink. With rush hour traffic, it would be a miracle if he made it before the puck dropped. 

Heading for the elevator, Marcus smiled to himself as he thought of how much his life had changed since his trip to Alaska all those years ago. No longer a single workaholic with no personal attachments, he was now a husband and father of three small children who made it a point to be home for dinner every night. While he still loved his job as Editor in Chief, his priorities had certainly changed, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Once he made it to his car and out of the parking garage, he dialed Abby to check in on his family. 

“Are you on your way?” she asked by way of greeting. 

“Yes. I’m about 15 minutes away. My meeting ran late.” 

“They always do when you have somewhere to be,” Abby chuckled. 

“How did it go today?” he asked, cautiously. It wasn’t that Marcus doubted Abby’s ability to handle their children on her own, but it was her first week back at work since the twins were born over 6 years ago. Once the couple decided to make Toronto their permanent home, Abby wanted to focus on being a mother, instead of finding a new full time position as an Editor. With Marcus’ heavy workload, the decision had been a no brainer and one Abby had never regretted, especially once their youngest arrived. 

Now, with Tucker and Gracie in 1st grade and Dawson in a full-day pre-K program, the time was right for Abby to head back into the workforce. While Arkadia was eager to hire her, she didn’t want anyone to think she’d been given the job because her husband was Editor in Chief. Luckily for her, she was quickly snatched up by Polis Publishing. She was loving her new position, finally realizing her dream of becoming an Editor. The challenge was trying to find the balance between Editor and Mother, something Abby was still trying to master one week in. 

“Ok,” Abby sighed. “It’ll get easier, once we really get into a routine.” Normally, Marcus would be home and able to help with the kids, but he had a late meeting, something that didn’t happen very often. As a result, after working a full day at Polis, it had been up to Abby to pick the kids up from two different schools, feed them, change them, and then get everyone to the hockey rink in time for the twins’ 6 o’clock game. “I’m going to stop at Tim Horton’s for a coffee. Want one?”

“Please. I’ll see you soon. Love you.” 

“Love you too.” 

**********

After dropping Tucker and Gracie off at the locker room, Abby and Dawson headed for their seats, snacks in hand. While the youngest Kane was also a Hockey player, his team had the night off. Sitting down, Abby handed Dawson his hot chocolate and Timbits. “Don’t spill it.” 

“Daddy!” the little boy shrieked, carefully setting down his food and then launching himself into Marcus’ arms as he headed towards them. 

Abby smiled at the heartwarming scene between father and son. She never doubted that Marcus Kane would be a good father, but he had still managed to exceed her expectations. All three of their children absolutely adored him and he was equally smitten with them. 

“Hi,” he smiled, taking a seat next to her and setting their son back in his seat as he captured her lips in a quick kiss. 

“Hi. Here’s your coffee,” she smiled, handing him his large double-double. “You better get going, Coach. You have a locker room full of 6 year olds waiting for you.” 

Marcus laughed, shaking his head. “Tell me, when I asked you to be my fake fiance all those years ago, did you ever think we would end up here?”

“First of all,” she said, holding up a finger. “You did not  _ ask  _ me to be your fake fiance. You  _ forced  _ me to be your fake fiance.” 

“Ouch,” he mumbled.

“And by here, did I see myself as a Hockey Mom freezing my ass off several nights a week? No, somehow that never crossed my mind.” 

Marcus raised an eyebrow. “But you wouldn’t change it,” he said as a matter of fact, rather than a question, smirking at his wife. 

“Not a chance.” Leaning over, Abby kissed her husband again, trying to remember that they were in the middle of a youth hockey rink, surrounded by other people. “Now go!” she said, smacking his butt as he stood from his seat. 

Marcus yelped in surprise, treating his wife to a mock glare. “Be good, buddy,” he told Dawson, ruffling the boy’s hair. 

**********

“I’m too old for this,” Marcus groaned as he crawled into bed next to Abby later that night, wrapping his arms around his wife. After the Mini Mite Sabres skated to a 8-3 win over the Oilers, Marcus had taken his family out for celebratory pizza at Pizza Plant, their favorite local spot. Thankfully, it was a Friday night, because by the time the family returned home and all three kids were bathed, it was almost 9 o’clock. 

Snuggling into her husband’s side, Abby sighed contentedly. “I love our children and I want them to be active, but I am so happy no one has a game tomorrow.” 

“Thank God. I’m exhausted.” 

“How tired are you, exactly?” Abby asked as she gently caressed his stomach, running her fingers back and forth above the waistband of his pajama pants. 

Marcus opened one eye. “Depends,” he replied, a smile tugging at his lips. 

Abby pushed herself up and straddled Marcus’ lap. Leaning forward, she kissed him passionately as she ground her center against him. “You seem to be waking up,” she smirked, feeling his growing erection. She quickly lifted her oversized t-shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor before reaching for Marcus’ waistband. Taking the hint, he lifted his hips off the mattress and allowed Abby to pull his pajama bottoms down. As soon as he sprang free, Abby took him in hand, and sunk down onto him. “Yes,” she cried out. 

Desperate to touch her, Marcus sat up and found her lips again as Abby wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even deeper. “God, I love you so much,” Marcus said breathlessly as they continued to roll their hips into one another. 

“Mmm. I love you too,” Abby panted, slamming down harder and harder.

It didn’t take long for them both to cry out in release. When they finished, they laid together, a mess of sweaty tangled limbs. For a long time, they were quiet, their heavy breathing the only sound as they recovered. 

“I know we’re exhausted and our lives are crazy,” Abby started, breaking the silence. “But I love our lives.” 

Hearing the sincerity in his wife’s voice, Marcus looked down into her eyes and cupped the side of her face. “So do I. You know, sometimes I still wake up in the morning and pray this hasn’t all been a dream; you, the kids, our lives together. It’s so much more than I deserve.” 

“It’s definitely not a dream and you deserve all of this. We both do,” she assured him, reaching up to capture his lips again. “You’re an amazing husband and father and, by far, the sexiest youth hockey coach in all of North America.” 

“Now you’re messing with me,” he laughed. 

“It’s true,” Abby smiled. “I love you, Mr. Kane.” 

“I love you too, Mrs. Kane.” 


End file.
